Beyond Limitless
by Sky65
Summary: (NOW HIATUS!) A stupid,small mistake can take a person's life away so easily.My mistake was walking home from school when I was seven.That very day,my life was wrenched away from my grasp and subjected to a world of suffering.When at last a chance was given for me to move on with my life, I took it as a blessing.Then -when it all seemed false -I would search for the truth.
1. Prologue

**A/N: I'll make this note short, so I don't waste anyone's time. This is my first story on this website. I believe it has the potential to be different than other 'OC goes to FMA world'. And finally, I hope you all enjoy it! Please read and review! Chapter one will be out tomarrow! Thanks to those who read this! **

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Year-_ 2067A.D_. Area 21350, sector 5, which is also known as the city _Rocillec,_ located in the state of California. This city is known as the simulation games capital of the world. It is also one of the highest ranking cities for abductions and kidnappings. In most all of these cases, law enforcement had found that many are carried out by the same organization. The organization is still unknown, as well as the reason of its intentions, and its been like that for more than thirty years, even with help of advanced technology. The case has been reopened many, many times, but an answer has never been found and all action taken was futile.

_My name is sixty-five_.

I am a test subject of the virtual simulation lab. I was taken from my family at the age of seven. I was kidnapped, to be exact. I was on my way home from school and had taken a shortcut through an alleyway, so I could get home faster. Most kids took the SkyRail, a passenger train that hovers to and from any destination you choose, but I had believed that it is a waste of money for my family. Instead, I walked. That was my costly mistake, but there's no point in regretting the past when there's nothing to change it.

Since then, I've been living in this secret research and testing facility to undergo any kind of test needed from me – simple, weird, or painful. My age right now is fifteen. I've been in this place for almost eight years now, and have escaped death four times.

During these eight years, I have erased any personal thoughts and emotions. I have made my mind as blank as I could. I had to make myself be this way. If I had my real mind, I'd have lost it by now. I've already seen many of my fellow companions slowly lose their sanity, but they were quickly put down. I could guess they were picked to be used for any tests that required a human's sacrifice to be successful. This, though, does not affect me in any way. As I said before, I've had to get rid of my thoughts and emotions. In this hell, emotions are what you can no longer afford to have.

They say that if we do what we're told then they'll let us be free. This can be any test subject's only hope. It is also a false hope. You can only believe what they say for so long. The hope is only there so that the subjects will not riot. It would be a pain for the facility to gather more. Until the day comes when something happens and a miracle occurs, I will be bound by my fate without any struggle or resistance.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Edited Sunday, September 23, 2012**

* * *

_**Subject 65**_

"Subject Sixty-five, your needed in testing room 2!" The well-known automated voice from the intercom seemed to echo endlessly through the silent room.

Most all the test subjects sat in black plastic chairs were scattered throughout the large room with rotten wood floors and gray walls room in uneven rows or clusters. Their two-hundred-fifty sets of eyes now scanned around them, searching for the called victim.

In a chair located near the front of the room, a fifteen year old girl stood from her seat. The girl did not hesitate to make her way up a small, makeshift aisle and walk to the single door of the room. Her long light brown hair flowed behind her as she walked. Her blue eyes were not so much unique as they were emotionless. She held herself like she still had dignity, but that was not the case. It was how her body moved naturally. The girl arrived and stood in front of the door before it opened automatically. She then stepped into the very small, white room. Even before the door closed behind her, she could feel the burning gazes of the others on her back. It was rare for only a single subject to be taken. In fact, it was unheard of. Every other day, multiple subjects would be called at once - each would wait in a line to exit through the single door, one at a time.

A minute passed by before a camouflaged door in front of her opened to show a busy lobby with people in white or blue lab coats scurrying to and fro. It was almost like an ant pile. When she stepped out of the white room, her garments of a plain white shirt and a light blue, knee-length skirt separated her from the fancy and vibrant room she'd stepped into.

"How's my favorite number doing? Are you ready for today? It's a miracle break-through! If you survive this, it'll mean the company's – the _world's _success_!_" A pale man, maybe in his late thirties, with long black hair tied in a ponytail appeared at the girl's right side. A large white grin plastered on his face. His anticipation and excitement drowned out everything else in the room. He was so excited that he was oblivious that the girl had not reacted, or even looked at the man. "Well then, we're off! The testing room will be new to you, so it'll surprise you! I was even surprised, the renovations were great!"

The man blabbed on and on to the test subject about anything that came to his mind. All the way throughout the maze of hallways he didn't stop talking as he led the girl to testing room 2. It took a total of five minutes before their arrival, and during those five minutes the girl ignored everything the talkative person said. The only thing she paid attention to was which way her feet needed to go.

The two people arrived at a large set of gray doors with a big number two printed on them**. **A face recognition device was also on the door. A small click was heard and the doors were automatically opened within ten seconds of standing in front of it.

The girl's breath caught in her throat once she stepped into the giant room. For the first time in years, sun touched her skin. It might have been warm and nostalgic any other time, but she recoiled inwardly at its touch in horror. Her subconscious bled out a few fleeting emotions while her inner thoughts started to emerge after being locked away for so long. Then she felt the worst feeling creeping up her spine. Fear.

Out of all emotions, the worst one to have is fear. Fear is the hardest to control. Fear causes all emotions to course through the body at once. Fear was what makes someone think about the endless possibilities.

"Come on now, Sixty-five. We don't want to keep everyone waiting. A little sun won't hurt you. As I said before, they built a skylight in here because it felt so bland without one." The man next to her said while unaware of the sudden turmoil in the test subject.

Sixty-five was led by the man to the reclining chair in the middle of the white and gray room. She laid down on the chair and restrained by an automatic mechanism. It was a common procedure for her, but today her heart beat was faster than normal as the black straps held her forcibly to the gray chair. The room around her, besides the skylight it held, had a strip of windows lined around the room on the second or third floor. She could see the observers through the windows. She started to tremble. It was the same feeling she had during the times she almost died.

"Dr. Sánchez, please go ahead and insert the monitoring systems in the girl. Once you do that put the V.W simulator on her as well. We will begin once you are ready."A commanding voice ordered over an intercom.

The girl tried calming her trembling body as a thick needle pierced through her skin in four areas of her body; although she couldn't stop shaking completley. She mentally cringed from the pain, but she didn't let it show on her face. There were many sadistic people in the lab, which would find pleasure in watching pained expressions. It was only natural that she should deprive them of that pleasure.

Once the M.O chips had been inserted , Dr. Sánchez took an almost glasses-like object from the table and held it in his hands. He studied it for a moment before taking a few steps towards Sixty-five. After placing the object over her eyes, her heart skipped a beat.

Everything was happening so fast. This experiment, she knew, was supposedly significant. What was going to happen? What _was_ the experiment? Her fears let her thoughts escape her usually blank mind. This is why she hated it so much.

She felt something stick on the left side of her forehead. Then she felt another stick on the right side. She subconsciously clenched her teeth.

"Is everything ready at your end, Dr. Sánchez?" The commanding voice of the intercom asked. The fifteen year wanted to scream '_no_' and go back into the wood-floored room with the other test subjects. Sadly, though, nothing would escape her mouth. Her mouth didn't even move a muscle as it lay emotionless under the glasses-like object.

"Everything is in order!" The glee in the black-haired main's reply was unmasked and almost memorable.

"Then we'll begin."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Ok, here's the next chapter! I'm seriously considering rewriting it, or making it longer, but I'm not sure yet. I only get so much time on the computer, and I was pressed into it being only this longs, so sorry. I hope this is good. And don't worry, only the first chapters will have a cliff-hanger to get people dragged into the story^^ I'm evil right? And thx GoldenEyes for my first review! Now then, please enjoy the chapter! Oh and please review!**

Edited: Sunday, Septemeber 23, 2012

* * *

_**The Test **_

**Jenson**

**S**creams of agony racked subject sixty-five's body. White and blue electricity materialized from the V.W simulator glasses and danced through testing room like magic. Mr. Jenson, the project leader, stood at the window looking down, awed and infuriated at what he saw.

"What the _hell _is going on here? Angela! Tell me what's happening!" The broad shouldered man shouted. His voice was etched in desperation and confusion.

"Sir, all the readings coming from the M.O chips are malfunctioning! There must have been an electrical failure of some sort," His co-operator informed him. Her blonde hair was pulled in a bun while her eyes were narrowed looking at the clear tablet with the experimental readings in her hands.

"Don't give me that shit! Every damn precaution was taken for there to be NO mistakes!" Jenson bellowed at her. His eyes were still glued to the girl in chair, electricity surrounding her. What was happening? The subject was still screaming, but if it was an electrical shock, wouldn't she be dead by now?

"Mr. Jenson, you should also take into account that this could also be the result of the experiment...there was only a 60% chance of success to begin with. "You're suggesting that the experiment is nothing but an incorrect theory?! That everything we've been working towards is just a distant dream?!" The big man exclaimed with a building rage.

"What's happening now can be taken into consideration for next time."Angela shot back at him. She returned her full attention to the test subject and gazed in awe. "The reaction we're getting could mean that there is _something_ else we're missing. The key to figure out how to connect a virtual world to a human's mind…" Jenson growled in the back of his throat, but returned his own attention to the test subject. _It_ still screamed in agony, writhing unnaturally in the restraint chair.

The whole incident happened within a minute or less, and when it finally stopped, all people could do was stare with gaping mouths. The electricity finally receded and then completely stopped after a few moments. It took a some time before Jenson could get a hold of himself. The subject lay in the chair below in the testing room, its body was bloody and unmoving. She was most likely dead.

"Don't just stand around. You have jobs to do!" he called out to the people around him, before he pressed the sensor on a panel to use the intercom, "Dr. Sanchez are you still there? " No reply. "Dr. Sanchez?" Still no reply. Jenson came to the conclusion that the doctor had escaped during the uncalled for event.

"MR. JENSON! The M.O chips are giving me a reading, the girl is still alive!" A worker shouted.

Jenson's eyes grew wide in shock and he turned to Angela, "Get some people down there! I want a full assessment!"

* * *

**_Angela_**

Angela stared at the girl in the glass tube of the medical examination room. Something incredible had occurred, and the girl was living proof.

"So, you're saying she's in a coma? Why isn't she dead?" she asked the nurse.

"I don't know. She has burns across her entire body, but there are no signs that any of her vital organs were damaged or altered." The nurse whispered in reply. "It's a miracle she survived at all." Her words were slicked with pity and her eyes were glazed with sadness as she stared gently at the bloodied fifteen year old girl.

The blonde haired woman narrowed her eyes at the nurse; she was repulsed by how the stranger pitied the test subject. Without a thought, Angela stepped forwards and slapped the woman across the cheek without mercy. The nurse fell to the ground, stunned. Angela snarled coldly at her, "I will only say this once, so you'd best understand me, do I make myself clear?" Her voice was cold and demanding. The nurse's face went pale while she nodded her head shakily. Angela continued with bitterness on each of her words,"Pity is worthless. Such behavior is only fit for _human_ beings that have names. This _thing_ is nothing but a tool – a number. Remember this, or I'll make sure you are treated the same way as them. Now that you understand, I want you to keep keep this subject under life-support until she wakes up. Oh, and next time, I'd be best not to do such _revolting_ actions. "

She threw those last words over her shoulder as she turned to leave the room. She didn't even give a last glace at the nurse or the subject on her way out. Her green eyes glowed with disgust for a minute or two before they settled to their normal look. Such people like the nurse disgusted her. Test subjects were test subjects. They were tools to use for the success of the company. It was their fate. Angela couldn't care less. What she cared about was if the girl's coma was in any way related to the simulated world. If any information could be obtained to accomplish their goal, it was worth any effort.

* * *

_**Naomi**_

All she remembered was that there was the sudden pain a second after the test began. She couldn't even remember that she screamed, but she knew that she had. But now, she found herself surrounded by frigid darkness that started creeping up her arms and legs. She was aware that her heart was pounding violently in her chest. She wanted to leave the darkness. She was scared. Her struggling was futile, but she kept at it.

Her eyes flew open in an instant. The brunette looked around to see nothing but a white void. She tried to get up, but pain stabbed her entire body. She let out a sharp cry. Now she stayed unmoved, but let her eyes wander the white expanse. _Everything_ was white besides the giant gray stone doors floating next to her. _Wait…floating doors? What the hell is this place?_!

"Hey there, Naomi. It's been a while." The girl whipped her head around. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She started to tremble. She couldn't believe it. Tears welled in her eyes. She was shocked - yes - but also unmistakably happy. Her voice quavered as she spoke in a deathly whisper, "It can't be…"

That's the last thing she could remember.


	4. Chapter 3

**_A/N: Okay, so I'm sure that I'll be able to post chapters on Mondays. I'll find one more day where I'll be able to get on long enough^^ btw Truth DID take something from Naomi, and you'll read about it later. And another thing - its NOT her emotions =) I'll just let you guys keep guessing! You can also try guessing Naomi's last name, but you'll stay clueless until my next chapter!_**

**_I'd like to thank all those who have favorited/followed this story! And I really want to thank Ed' .Kitten, GoldenEyes, and Pureblackmoon for putting in time for reviewing! It really gets me hyped up and wanting to type up more chapters!_**

**_Alrighty, enough with my chat, time for you read. It's slightly longer, but I REALLY am getting angry at myself for not making it long enough for my liking. Ok, ok, I'll stop complaining. Please enjoy, favorite, follow, or review, or all of the above^^Thx_**

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**_Peace of Mind _**

**_Naomi_**

_"Hey there, Naomi…"_

_My name…someone said my name..._. The girl opened her bleary eyes. The first things she could see was the pure light blue sky. The sun was at its peak, bathing her in its warmth and light. She kept blinking, thinking it was only a dream while she lay in a soft, green patch of grass. But she could tell between dream and reality…and this was reality…hopefully. Her skin felt warm as the sun settled on it, and she didn't recoil. This place was different. It felt peaceful. She remained lying down to feel the gentle breeze across her skin as she watched the clouds gliding ever so gracefully.

She suddenly felt a weird feeling on her both her cheeks.

They were tearstains... What were they there for again? When had she cried in this peaceful world? She thought back, only to fully realize what had happened. Thrusting herself upwards, she looked around frantically.

"I was in the testing room…something went wrong…"she talked to herself in a murmur. She scrunched her face trying to think back. It took a moment more before she could remember anything else. Finally her facial features changed until she seemed spaced out. "A white void."

Someone or something had called out to her. The worst part was that the more she tried to think about it, the more confused she became. She honestly could only remember there being a white void, and a certain presence. She couldn't remember exactly what the presence had been, but she remembered feeling some strong emotion come surging out of her.

Then she wondered why she appeared where she did. In fact she wondered:_Where_ exactly is _here_? Well, from what she could tell, it was the middle of a small park. There were trees, a sidewalk, one or two benches…and she was sitting in a patch of grass close to some REALLY outdated playground. She had to laugh at it. It looked weird... Naomi's thoughts drifted away from the park and continued to wander freely.

Some may ask why she didn't panic or think harder about where she was, but those who think that haven't been in her shoes. To her, there was no reason to be scared or panicky, and the years spent with very few emotional drives helped her stay that way. To her, where she was currently sitting was parallel to heaven. Naomi didn't want the peaceful feelings to stray from. The bliss was just too good. She sat with her legs out in front of her and her hands in the cool grass. It could've been autumn, or maybe spring, but it really hadn't mattered. The sun sunk lower in the sky. Naomi's blue eyes followed it in fascination. Everything was beautiful, and when at last the stars and a full moon came out, she didn't know whether or not to cry or not.

She stayed there for three days and nights, oblivious to her hunger or numbness, only aware of the peaceful place she was either sitting or lying down in.

* * *

**_Maes Hughes_**

"Elicia! Daddy has left work early today! Tell me what you want to do!"Maes Hughes sat on his heels and lightly pinched his daughter's cheeks until he couldn't bear the cuteness of it anymore and fell on the floor – well – it was more like practically fainting.

"I want go to pawrk!" Elicia giggled with a big grin. Now _that_ got the father rolling on the ground. It was just too much cuteness to take in. After Maes finally got a hold of his self, he got up and carried his little girl in his arms.

"TO THE PARK!" He roared with sparkles in his eyes and his finger pointing out the door. Elicia just laughed a 'yay' and the two proceeded to exit the house before they were stopped by the mother.

"Maes, make sure you come home in time for dinner. Alright?" Gracia, his sweet short-haired wife, looked at him with her motherly eyes.

Maes smiled goofily at her, and gave a thumb up, "Sure thing, honey!" He then raced out of the house with the three year old girl in his arms. His exit was followed by a small laugh from the wife. Gracia shook her head and thought to herself: _That will never get old._

When they reached Central Park near their house, Maes put Elicia down so that she could run to the playground. Two other little girls were also playing, their mother watching them from a bench. "Such a shame I'm not small like Ed…if I was I'd be able to play with my little angel." He mused. Little Elicia on the other hand had talked to the other kids and they started playing tag. He gave a small grin. He put his hand in his blue military uniform's pocket to take out his picture collection. Hughes held them in his hands, his eyes looking away from them only to check on Elicia.

Suddenly the wind picked up and a loose picture flew from his grasp.

"Ahhh, come back here! " He exclaimed. He quickly thrust the other pictures in his pockets, making sure they wouldn't get bent, and jogged a little ways to where it landed and picked it up. That's when his eyes lit up with surprise. And no, it wasn't the picture.

Right in front of him, only a few feet away, there was a teenage girl lying in the grass. Her pale face was looking up to the blue sky. Her blue eyes seemed glazed over, as if she were dead. Long brown hair was splayed out from under her. Unusual, yet plain, garments clothed her; a white shirt and blue skirt. All in all, it was a strange sight. It also made Maes panic. The girl looked gaunt, malnourished, and completely out of it. He could only tell that she was alive by seeing her body move with each breath she took.

He moved slowly towards her, unsure of what to do, before reaching her.

"Miss? Miss? Are you okay? Can you hear me?" No response. The girl kept looking up at the sky. Maes Hughes looked back at the playground to see Elicia chasing another kid before turning his head to the teenager. "Miss?"

He got closer to shake her shoulder. It worked, but not in the way he intended it to. She turned her head and her eyes stared at him… no… they stared _through _him. He almost shivered at the emotionless gaze. "Miss…?"

"Daddy…"Hughes breath was stopped short when the girl's lips moved for the first time, but she didn't stop there. Facing the sky again, the girl smiled lightly, "Isn't the sky so pretty…? To think I would ever see it again. Can we go and see Mommy? I haven't seen you guys in so long…were you worried? I also really want to see Alyssa…is she in high school now? I want her to braid my hair again."

Maes Hughes looked uneasy as he stared at the girl. Something in his heart cringed at the sight. His hand ran through his black hair before his fatherly instincts came into action and he picked up the girl as if she was a baby. It surprised him about how light she was, even with her size. She didn't struggle at all, but instead closed her eyes as if sleeping. He gave the smallest of smiles. It was as if she was a small child stuck inside a big body.

"Don't worry…you're okay now." He said softly. Walking over to the playground, he called to his little girl. "Elicia! Come here, please! We need to leave!"

The small girl ran over, stopping a few inches away with a weird look in her green eyes. "Who's dat?"

Hughes only gave his small child a smile and replied, "Let's go, sweetie. Can you walk close to me for now, until we get home?"

Elicia looked at her father, confused, but nodded her head.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N:Well, hey there! How is everyone doing? Still Alive? I sure am! You know, as annoying as trying figure out a plot and struggling against my random urges to write two other stories, writing is an experience worth the time and effort. I loved writing the last chapter, and I loved writing this chapter as well! I get to laugh at the small puns that I put in without any worries that I'm a physcopath who laughs at my kindle touch screen when some character dies a stupid death. Did that even make any sense? NO! Cuz that was just a random remark that I don't bother to erase. But it is true... Well, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. I worked all day on it...I worked half my day on it! So I hope you guys enjoy it ^^**

**I'd like to thank all those who have review, favorited, or followed this story. I didn't think I'd get such a great response! Every time I check the email on my cell, I jump with glee when I read "SaidPerson has followed your story" and all the other alerts I get^^**

**Oh and I HAVE to start putting disclaimer =P Oh whatever. **

**Claimer- I created the plot. I created the OC. God created me which allowed for the creation of both of them.**

**Disclaimer- ...Fma is not mine. Why would anyone think that?**

_This story goes by Brotherhood plotline_

* * *

_**Home for the Kittens**_

_**Edward & Alphonse**_

Rolling his eyes in annoyance, and obviously still fuming from Elicia's comment, Ed followed Lieutenant Colonel Hughes to the main room of the house. He muttered to his self in aggravation: _HE WAS NOT SHORT, DAMMIT_! Why did people of _**all **_ages decide to team up against him? Was there some kind of secret "_Let's annoy Ed club by calling him short_" club that everyone was in? Ed wouldn't be surprised if such a thing existed... that was the only explanation…end of sentence.

They proceeded to sit on the couches in the room while Gracia resumed her work in the kitchen. Al was sitting next to Ed, very aware of his brother's inner musings. Nothing the suit of armor could say would really help, so Al instead began to speak to Hughes in his shy, child-like voice, "Uh, well, uh- Brother and I would like to thank you for your hospitality! It's really nice for you to do this for us – so thank you very much!

Hughes gave a good-hearted smiled and laughed with Elicia sitting on his lap. "It's no big deal, I think I've made a habit of picking up lost kittens." He played with his daughter's messy light brown hair which was pulled into pigtails. Elicia just giggled. "Oh, and I'm sorry I didn't mention it earlier, but there is another person staying with us. Please be kind to her, Ed, don't go throwing around your temper. She's both mentally and physically fragile. I'm not sure if she'll come out to eat. She's really timid around strangers."

"HEY, WHATS THE BIG IDEA! Why do you purposefully tell ME to be careful? Huh? People ALWAYS blame me BEFORE something happens!" Ed stood up and roared, pointing an accusing finger at Hughes with a vein popping up on his head. They always warned _him_! No one else. Grrrrr. Why was _he_ always being picked on?

"Brother! Settle down!" Al pleaded. "It's just a precautionary measure …I mean…well... you aren't really the calm type of person. He just wanted to…make sure you're calm around her…yeah!"

Ed glared at Al, muttered something under his breath, and sat back down with his arms crossed over his chest. Al just sighed with relief and slightly laughed a 'sorry' to Hughes.

Hughes, on the other hand just grinned. He was seriously the jolly type of person, Ed concluded.

"Its fine, "Ed watched to see Hughes push up his glasses, "I found her two weeks ago… and I'm just really worried about her right now. I might've taken her to a hospital, but by what she said, she isn't from around here. And I mean it when I say that. If I took her to a hospital, I'd have to deal with the possibility of her being taken away for interrogation once she's healed. I was going to tell Roy, but it seems he has his hands full at the moment."

"Wait – where is she from? Are you sure she isn't a spy?" Ed asked, his fury ebbing away to replace genuine curiosity.

"First off, she isn't a spy, Ed. I can bet you my life she isn't. And secondly, she says she's from a country or something called California – and from a town named Rocillec. I've tried looking it up, but I can't seem to find exactly _where _it is. I've never even heard of it ."

Ed and Al sat thinking, and the silence offered a chance for Elicia to speak, "Papa, want me to gewt Sissy?"

Hughes looked at his daughter's absurdly adorable face and suddenly became instantly energized. His laugh was more like a creepy man giggle, making Ed shudder while the lietenant whisker-rubbed his daughter who laughed goofily in return. Ed shuddered even more at the mushy-gooshy atmosphere. The daughter and the father remained that way for about ten seconds more before Hughes finally let her down, out of his lap. "Okay, try to go get Sissy before dinner starts."

Suddenly Gracia's voice called out from the kitchen before she entered the room, "Dinner is ready right now. She looked at them with kind eyes. She seriously was one of those women who could never posses an evil-bone in her body.

Hughes sat up before lightly pushing his daughter's back. "Go and get her." Elicia smiled happily before skipping away to find the girl. Ed wondered, in the very back of his mind, what the girl looked like. Al took the liberty of going into the kitchen first, and was followed by Hughes. Ed was last, not bothering to rush.

* * *

_**Naomi**_

**(Flashback)**

_She opened her eyes, to find herself disorientated and confused. Her body felt heavy and weak. Her eyes darted around, and she found herself nestled in a bed in a friendly-looking but unlit room. It was like déjà vu. For a second time in a row, Naomi found herself in a welcoming place. The bed under her was as soft as the grass she was in…she didn't bother to remove herself from it gentle embrace. The blanket on top of her cuddled her body snuggly like her baby blanket, Bee, which she had inwardly longed for during the eight years of confinement. And again, she wished to stay in the same position without moving. And again she thought it could possibly be a dream…but she could tell the difference between dreams and reality, and this was reality…and her thoughts again said, "Hopefully."_

_Naomi smiled to herself. This was reality…wherever she was, it was better than the nightmares she faced. Closing her eyes once more, she could feel her body saying "do something" or "eat", but she dismissed the thoughts. Before she managed to sleep, she heard a sound. It was a door opening, not an automatic one, but a genuine manual door that she hadn't heard in ages. Her eyes almost flew open at the recognition. Maybe she was really home? Maybe her parents had changed her room…maybe they had added a new one for all she knew._

"_Daddy, Mommy? Am I home?" She asked, almost pleadingly, while slowly sitting upon the bed._

_Her hopes were dashed when she saw an unfamiliar man in a blue uniform. Her disappointment shone bitterly in her wide eyes. Tears threatened to pour out uncontrollably. Where was she? If she wasn't home, where was she? Where…WHERE!_

_The man stepped through the doorway. Naomi felt like she was about to break. Every emotion she had ever known tumbled uncontrollably out of the container she had locked them up in. She cupped her hands over her faces and started to sob. After years of resistance, she had finally broken down. _

_Naomi didn't notice the women who came in after the man, nor did she notice the little girl who had pushed her way through her parents to get a closer look. She didn't notice any of this while crying her heart out, until the little girl made her way over to the bed. Naomi removed her cupped hands from her face and put them on her forehead and found the girl staring at her with big eyes. _

"_Sissy, why are wou cwying?"The little girl looked at Naomi, her green eyes soft with curiosity. Naomi tried to stop herself from crying, but the emotions still wouldn't stop. _

"_W-w-w-where am I?" She managed to stutter between sobs. She was going to say she wanted to see Mommy and Daddy, but the words wouldn't come out of her mouth._

_She was sure the man was about to answer, but the little girl beat him to it, "You'wre in our houwse! You'we my Sissy now!"_

_Naomi's eyes widened at the little girl's comment while tears still streamed out endlessly. She may have not known the little girl, but her heart was touched. She gave a small smile while crying. It was almost too bittersweet to bear. She didn't even know the girl in front of her, she didn't know where she was, she didn't know if she would ever see her family again, and she didn't know what had happened to her…but the little girl's smile gave Naomi a tender comfort to her shattered heart._

_(**A few days later in the Flashback**)_

"_How are you doing?" Maes, whom was the father in the house, asked her._

_After her major break down, Naomi had finally felt how famished and thirsy she was. She had never experienced the feeling before. If it was back at home or even at the lab she was always supplied with well-balanced meal. Being malnurished and stuff was all very exhausting, but with the help of the Hughes family, she started her recovery. Gracia, Elicia, and Maes had been worried for her, a mere stranger, and had taken her to their home. Naomi could only begin to think how she could ever repay them for their kindness._

"_I've been better," Naomi smiled weakly, "but staying in the same position for days on end doesn't really do any good to the body." She stretched and yawned. Before she had thought she never wanted to move, but that thought had been tossed out the window._

"_True, but Gracia would insist you don't push yourself. Your body looked like a twig when I brought you here, and it seems like you have no muscles to actually move around with." Maes said jokingly. Naomi gave a soft chuckle. _

"_I wasn't able to talk well the past few days…so can I ask questions now?"Naomi asked._

"_Sure, go ahead."_

"_Um – well first off, where is this place?"_

"_You're in Central, in the country of Amestris."_

_There was a pause before Naomi talked again._

"_Amestris? Where exactly is that? How did I even get here? I'm from Area 21350, Sector 5 of California… or, as most people call it, Rocillic. You've heard of that, right? It's one of the most well-known names in the world... I wonder how I got here…"_

_He gave Naomi one of the weirdest glances she'd ever seen. She wasn't sure what was going on through his mind. _

"_Well then…um, can you tell me your name, Sissy?" Humor ceased control of his eyes. It was more directed at the nickname Elicia had had given her. But even with his light attitude, he was only met by an unforeseen silence which seemed to last for eternity. _

_Naomi finally broke the silence with a whisper, "You can call just call me Sissy…I don't know what to call myself anymore." It was true. Both her real name and lab name made her feel a spike of pain that went through her heart. They were both reminders of her past. Both her happy and her horrid past…_

_Maes looked at Naomi with a confused look. He was probably thinking about what she had been through, but nonetheless, he didn't ask. Instead, he said something unexpected._

"_Welcome to the family, Sissy._

_He didn't say anything else. He didn't need to. After a few moments in silence, Naomi had maneuvered herself so that she could put her arms around him. Tears stung her eyes when he hugged her back. It was like being in her father's arms again._

_(__**Flashback End)**_

She could hear the angry yelling of someone, and Naomi hid her head in the pillows under her head. The boy was going to be a nuisance. She could already tell. If all he could ever do was yell, then her headaches would only increase.

Maes had told her they would be taking in some boys her age for a while. They were the Elric brothers. Apparently one of them was known as the Fullmetal Alchemist, whatever that meant. Naomi didn't care enough to ask anything. She just nodded her head and went with the flow. It was a bodily and mental habit of hers ever since the lab. And about the topic of the lab…she really didn't know how she ended up here, in a country called Amestris. Perhaps she was teleported? It was at least slightly plausible. It wasn't as if she was in a simulated world created by her mind. Nor was it possible that she was transported to a completely new world. Either option was just impossible. Even a seven year old brain could comprehend that.

**Bong Bong!**

Her thoughts were interrupted by the knocking of her door before it opened. Elicia popped her head inside, a large grin on her face.

"Sissy, dinner time! Mama made quiche!"

It was hard to resist, but she would prefer not to talk to the strangers. "Elicia, sorry but I'm not hungry…"Elicia's eyes grew bigger and Naomi looked away. God, why did you give children the most tear-jerking puppy-dog face? Was it to spoil them until they grew out of it, or was it a defense mechanism of some kind?

"But Sissy!" she cried.

_I'm not looking. I'm NOT going to look. _No, no, no, _bad Naomi! DAMN! DON'T LOOK, DON'T LOOK, DON'T LOOK!_

She looked. Why was she born with overwhelming temptation? Wait – not temptation – it was curiosity. She had the curiosity of a seven year old girl. And in this case, curiosity killed the cat. Naomi was the cat.

"Fine. I'll be out in a minute. Let me get dressed."

Elicia giggled and walked out the door and headed to the kitchen. Naomi couldn't help but let out a sigh of happiness. Although the Hughes family lived in such an odd house and neighborhood (that must've been poor due to the lack of technology), she had felt home within the two weeks of being with them. Once she healed, she would ask Maes for a world map so that he could point out Amestris. Perhaps it was near Great Britain or Whales. After all, everyone did speak English.

Naomi closed the door and changed out of her nightwear and into a faded blue V-neck shirt with some beige pants. Gracia had bought the teenager some clothes, saying that Elicia would wear them one day. The teenager accepted them with a load full of gratitude. It was like Christmas when she received the clothes, yet more genuine than the cheesy holiday.

"Anything is better than Christmas." She snorted to herself. "It was created by toy companies who just wanted money."

She grabbed a hair brush on a nightstand and started working on the knots and tangles in her long hair. Again she snorted to herself. Her hip-length hair was such a bother. It was messy and very irritating. She hadn't even known it was so long before she was well enough to brush it. Being cooped up in a lab for so long you'd think the people there would shave your head…well, sometimes they did and sometimes they didn't. It just depended on what experiments a person was put through.

Sighing, the blue-eyed girl quietly opened the door. She could hear laughing coming from the kitchen. She opened the supply closet that was just across from her room and found the pair of purple scissors she was looking for. Naomi took them, closed the door, and headed into the bathroom. She turned on the lights and grabbed her hair just under her neck.

_**Snip. **_

_**Clunk!**_

The access hair was tossed into the trash bin.

She smirked. Easier done than said.

Naomi, during the past two weeks, had slowly begun to realize how much she missed this side of herself that she had locked away. The little playful, weird, mischievous, and over-smiling seven year old that loved ladybugs and clouds. Home had never felt so close before. Her smirk turned into a wide grin as she imagined the future.

_She couldn't wait to go home._

* * *

**_A/N: Hehe, I can't wait to write about Naomi! Oh, and sorry, I said you'd learn her whole name last chapter, but it works better like this. And btw, her name won't be Sissy throughout the story, it will appear very soon, hopefully. It comes with her character development - or perhaps her friendships. I don't know if I'll do romance, but I'll probably give in sooner or later, due to my fangirling. But if that's the case would you like it as OCxAl or OCxEd? Anyways, see that review button below? Press it. Click it. Do whatever you want with it- but just know that my four reviews are lonely. So give them some friendship!_**

**_And tell me you adore the chapter name! Its just so cute^^_**

**_~Sky65_**


	6. Chapter 5

_**Woaaah! Look, I'm updating three days after my self-deadline! I'm so evil? NO, it was technically NOT my fault! I was actually done on Sunday but was kicked off before I got a chance to upload to the site^^See? Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter! Please tell me how it is! I think some aspects are a bit cliche but I like it so that's what matters! Right? Hope to see more followers/revews soon! I really can't believe it, that my story is already getting great feedback from everyone. **_

_**I'd really like to thank everyone who has favorited or followed this story! And I want to really hug those who've taken the time to review or message me: **_

_Ed' .Kitten, __Hyper V, __XxxFMAxxX, __Pureblackmoon, __Doggyxxx -(It's fine^^), __Goldeneyes, __Guest_

_**Claimer: I seriously own the plot, got it? I also created my precious Nao-chan!**_

_**Disclaimer: No, of course I didn't create FMA! This is a FAN fiction after all =p**_

_Follows Brotherhood Plotline (includes first episode of anime)_

* * *

**First Impressions**

_**Maes **_

"Okay, eat up!"

"Thaaanks!" Ed almost squealed with delight while stuffing his mouth, "wow, you weren't kidding this is great!"

"Don't be shy, eat all you want," Gracia said."

"O.K!" The blonde haired boy replied gleefully.

Maes smiled, but then gave an odd look towards the suit of armor. He laughed slightly, "Alphonse, how are you going to eat with that armor? Take it off, relax!"

Both the boys froze and stared at him for a brief moment. Al put his hand to the back of his helmet while Ed held gave a nervous chomp of his food. Al started off, "Well you see –".

"He's not allowed to! He has to wear it all the time. It's uh – it's a part of his alchemy training! You know how it is –! But don't worry; I'll eat enough for the both of us!" Ed interrupted his brother. The officer gave them a strange look. He wondered briefly what wearing a suit of armor did for alchemy training. It was as strange as Sissy's case.

"If you want, you can eat whenever you feel like it later on, Al." Maes heard his wife's remark and gave another smile. Of course she'd give such a sweet offer; she _was_ his wife after all!

The two brothers and the Hughes family became engaged in conversation throughout dinner. They were just about done the door opened and a fifteen year old girl stepped in nervously. The first thing he noticed was her much shortened hair. His jaw almost dropped to the ground at the difference. Her once hip-length hair was now cut just below her shoulders and had been neatly brushed. It had almost made her seem perfectly lively and healthy.

"My, your hair looks nice!" Gracia was the first to speak up; an obvious glow of delight had enveloped her. The girl looked down shyly, unused to the attention. "Now, why don't you introduce yourself? You can eat right afterwards."

_Smooth move_, Maes thought on Gracia's part. The young girl needed to become a lot more sociable than she was willing to be.

* * *

_**Edward**_

Ed scrutinized the girl who had randomly appeared at the end of dinner. She looked as if she was just under Winry's height. Did that mean she was she taller than him?

Her hair was light brown and hung just below her shoulders. Her bust was slightly less than Winry's and her body looked frail. She was barefoot and wearing a plain faded blue v-neck along with some beige pants. Her face was pale and attractive, but then her eyes met his, and he suddenly felt taken aback. They were blue and harmless, yet held an unseen aspect that could give you chills. It was as if they were…_empty_. They were lacking something. It made him feel uneasy.

"My, your hair looks nice!" Ed heard Gracia say. "Now, why don't you introduce yourself? You can eat right afterwards."

Ed watched her eyes travel quickly back to the ground before looking up at Al.

"Is this that "Fullmetal Alchemist" you were talking about?" She whispered. Ed wasn't sure if she said it fearfully or in awe, but he really didn't care right then. He was already in one of those short-tempered moods.

"HE ISN'T THE FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST! I AM, DAMMIT!"Ed stood up fuming while pointing his thumb to his self. Well that did it. She fell back with a shocked face, wordless. He suddenly felt guilty as a wave of alarm crossed her face. Damn. What a great way to introduce himself.

"Brother! You didn't need to do that!" Al scolded him frantically. He then stood up and pushed back his chair to extend his armored hand. "Hey, I'm so sorry! My brother –well my brother didn't mean it. He's always like this."

The girl only stared at Ed's brother with wide eyes. What was she thinking? Finally her hand extended out to meet Al's. The armor pulled her up with ease. The girl was now on her feet, still looking up wide-eyed. "How can you move in that armor? It's huge! You must be extremely strong…how big are you?Why is your voice so childish? And if you don't mind me asking, _why _are you wearing it?"

Oh. This was just great. Ed smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand, and pulled upwards so that his hair ran through his gloves.

"He needs to wear it for alchemy training. Okay? And yeah, he's big and has a small voice, so what?." Ed said irritably. "And I'm sorry for alarming you, 'kay? I'm Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, and the one wearing the suit of armor is my brother, Alphonse."

The girl took a few moments to continue to stare at Al, but now her attention was focused on him, and Ed wanted to look away from her gaze. It was slightly unnerving as the empty depths stared at him. His wish was granted as she turned back to Al.

"I-I go by Sissy. I'm sorry that I caused your brother trouble. And, umm, thank you." Then she added a very _unn__ecessary_ line, "I wish you luck on trying to keep Edward in line, he seems to be a lot of work." A vein popped up on Ed's head.

"Well, _Sissy_, did you want to eat or what? Or does your name imply that you're a wuss who is scared of eating food?" Ed smirked while sliding easily into his chair.

"You know what? I'm feeling rather irritated. Some fly just keeps buzzing around my head as if it thinks that it owns the world." The girl said nonchalantly. Ed's eyes were now on fire and he once more stood up and slammed his hands on the table.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT?"

"Who said anything about your height?"

"DON'T CHANGE THE SUBJECT!"

"I'm not; you're the one who called yourself short. I just said that there was an annoying and _puny _fly who thinks he's just all that!"

"OH, WELL EXCUUUUSE ME! IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS MORE THAN _ONE _FLY IN HERE!"

"You're right. But it just so _SEEMS_ that _BOTH_ FLIES are MUCH _TALLER_ than you'll _EVER_ be!"

"WHAT WAS THAT?"

The girl's face changed for the first time since they started bickering, and she leered at Ed as she so proudly proclaimed her victory. His face grew red with anger and he just sat down, oblivious of the chuckles coming from the onlookers. Damn, she had her way with words. He would've left the table, but didn't want to pass by "Sissy" on his way out. He growled inwardly. What a _perfect _way to introduce himself. He ended up being showed up by an oh-so 'feeble' brat. Sooner or later he'd redeem himself.

* * *

_**Naomi**_

The first impression she had of the_ fake _"Fullmetal Alchemist" was brief. Her eyes had only skimmed the people in the kitchen and he happened to be the last her eyes fell upon, oddly. But after Gracia's comment, it was only right for Naomi to take a look up at the towering armor with spikes protruding from his shoulders and an apron-thing tied around its waste like Tarzan. Why wouldn't she be shocked at the "Fullmetal Alchemist's" appearance? She really wasn't expecting _that_.

It was after her awed state where she asked if he was the 'Fullmetal' person.

Of course she just had to ask, because the next thing she knew, Naomi found herself startled and on the floor from the blonde kid's sudden outburst. But it was only until after she had finished studying Alphonse when she finally faced his small brother.

That's when she had her first _real_ impression of the _real _"Fullmetal Alchemist".

He was handsome, with his hair in a long blonde braid and a slightly long face. His eyes were an unnatural and very striking gold color. He wore very noticeable red jacket with black clothes underneath, that just screamed for attention. His name was apparently Edward Elric, a very short-tempered and annoying kind of guy that held some important title. Naomi had laughed inwardly. She didn't give shit about _who _he had said he was.

That's why she found it almost_ enjoyable_ arguing with him, while at the same time feeling like a ticking time bomb ready to go off at anytime. It felt great, like she was really alive again. She couldn't resist giving the boy a victorious look when she knew she had won.

Naomi had found herself actually _feeling _what she had been like years ago. It came out naturally, when given a certain situation.

Now she took a seat in the chair at the end of the table, near Alphonse (it still really boggled her on WHY he wore a suit of armor to dinner. Edward had said something about alchery or almary training – something along those lines). Gracia had been kind enough t leave the table and set a dish of quiche in front of her. She also put some milk out for her. Naomi shuddered, but managed to chug it down without complaining. She could only ever like milk if it had chocolate in it, or if it was drunk with certain foods like enchiladas or cereal. And she was talking about the milk back in America, and words couldn't describe the difference between the milk of America and of Amestris.

Edward gave her a raised eyebrow while she chugged it down. What was he staring at? She only looked like a frantic lunatic drinking a glass of milk….Oh. That explained it.

The dinner table was quiet besides the few noises the Elicia started making out of boredom or something. Naomi looked up and smiled happily. Maes and Gracia were surely blessed with such a cute little girl who was able to stop a stranger's tears by just a smile. When everyone was finished, they all helped out to clean up.

Naomi kept her distance from Edward, unsure if he was one to 'accidentally' stick out his foot or 'accidentally' bump into her. They both gave death stares at each other each time their eyes made contact; Naomi almost felt bad for Alphonse who watched them in despair.

Once the kitchen and dining room were cleaned up, Naomi walked out of the room and into her own. It felt slightly different. She closed the door behind her and flopped onto the bed. Her stomach was full, but all of her energy was sapped out from her. Perhaps it was from the suddenness of her actions, or perhaps it was more because her emotions continued to flood Naomi endlessly.

Whatever the reason, she didn't care.

* * *

_**Edward**_

Flopping down on the bed of the room, Ed rubbed his head and took a deep breath. What a long day. The girl was a mystery and a nuisance. Not to mention that Ed and Al would be needed for a patrol the next day to look for that insane creep who was doing whatever it was he was doing. He lay unmoving in the bed for the next thirty minutes, unable to sleep.

"Hey, Brother, are you awake?" He heard Al ask.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Today was great wasn't it?"

"Why'd you think that?"

"Well, first off, Miss Gracia's quiche looked a lot like Mom's!"

"Yeah, almost as good, too."

"Huh? Really? Well in that case, I'll put it on my list of things to eat when I get my body back!"

Ed listened to Al scribble something down and smiled, "Right. Put it on there, right near the top."

Ed almost closed his eyes as a dreadful longing pulled at him. He could tell Al felt the same ways. They wanted their real body's back…

"And Brother…"

"What is it, Al?"

"Where do you think Sissy came from? She didn't even say her real name. "

Ed thought for a moment. She had seemed perfectly fine…except for her eyes. Besides that he would've thought nothing of where she came from if Hughes hadn't told them anything. She seemed like just a frail-bodied girl with a craftily irritable attitude. "Who knows, Al. She might have just hit her head. Or perhaps she's really from the place she says she's from. Whatever it is, it's none of our business. We have our own problems to deal with."

"But Brother!"

"We need to focus on getting our bodies back, Al! We don't need to be distracted any more than we already have been. We need to find a Philosopher Stone…"

Al fell silent. Ed felt slightly guilty at his selfish remark, but had known it to be true. Finally after a minute Al whispered in reply, "Yeah…I guess you're right."

* * *

_**Angela**_

"_It's absurd! How could Dr. Sanchez be vaporized? And how the hell did subject 65's biological age increase three years? It's unheard of! What's even stranger is that when we copied the same circumstances given during the first test, we didn't get the same results! Instead, we were left with useless corpse!" _Angela snarled in frustration.

"Complaining isn't going to give you any answers." Jenson said grimly.

"_Shut up!_ What are _you _doing to help? Can _you_ figure out what the hell is going on?

Angela heard the boss breathe in and watched as he finally turned his chair around to face her. His black hair was neatly trimmed in an elegant fashion. Dark sunglass covered his eyes. Before she could react, he pressed a sensor on his desk. A hologram screen appeared in front of her.

"What you are about to see is so far only known be me. After hours of analyzing, I have found something very interesting." He touched the hologram for it to play. A video of the first test started playing. Angela watched closely when Dr. Sanchez fell backwards. The video zoomed in and slowed down to a slow-motion speed. Her eyes flew wide open. The doctor's fingers were starting to break down into sections. He was being taken apart, by thousands or millions of tiny _ribbon hands._ She watched breathlessly until the total breakdown of his body was complete. The image was paused.

"This…what is this? This isn't science! This is madness! It's –!"

Jenson interrupted her, "This is the unknown. This is a single mystery of the universe now at our hands. And we can be the ones to unravel it!"

Angela only looked at him with piercing green eyes. Her heart beat faster…_ribbon like hands_. An eerie feeling of knowing drowned her. But she just stood there with a blank expression on her face.

"If we were able to discover that there is a secret of the universe unknown to us until now, imagine what we'll be able to accomplish!"

"_**Accomplish?"**_

XXxxxXX

Angela shuddered once she exited the room. This wasn't a guy who you could argue with. Besides him, the woman couldn't help but think about the ribbon hands. They…were awfully frightening. It seemed impossible, but she saw them nonetheless.

"Can it really be true?" Angela whispered to herself while walking down an empty hallway. She followed it until she reached her own office. The door opened after recognizing her face, and she walked through it. She made her way to her desk, flopping down in the cushioned chair. Her mind wandered and she rubbed her temples to try releasing the pressure of disbelief.

"_What will we really be able accomplish?"_

* * *

**_I'd like you guys to notice what Naomi's inner thoughts are compared to how others see her^^Besides that, give me some more feedback! I'd really appriciate it! Oh, and see that gold coin at the bottom of the screen? You don't? Then look closer! ITS DISGUISED AS A REVIEW BUTTON! You HAVE to click it!_**

**_Thanks,_**

**_Sky65_**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Look! I finished it right on time! Give me some credit please - I finished it even after a bad case of writers block. I'm extremely happy with it^^ You learn Naomi's WHOLE name! It's great! Anyways, hope you like it. In other news- I made it so my profile will be the main information source about what's going on with my updates and such. Hope you check it out! **

**Thx for follows and reviews! The more reviews, the happier Ed will be!**

_I really want to dedicate this chapter to two of my favorite authors on this site who've given me tons of inspiration:_

_KarmaHope and LeFay Strent_

* * *

**The Beggining of Their Bond**

_**Naomi**_

"_No! NO! WHY? I DON'T WANT THIS! WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? PLEASE!" Screams echoed through the many hallways as I was dragged forcefully to a testing room. I looked at the doctor, only to find his face plastered with an unnatural grin. His- its head turned and looked at me to reveal a face of a monster. I managed to pull away. I struggled to run, but I was going so slowly. A long arm grabbed my neck; I choked as it tried to pull me back. But for some unexplainable reason, I escaped its grasp and turned down the next hallway. The ominous lights flickered eerily like in horror movie. _

"_HELP ME! SOMEONE!" I screamed. My heart pounded too fast for my body, and I watched as blood came pouring out of my chest due to the heart's rapid beating. I panicked even harder. I then started at the floor as black shadows crawled towards me. I stopped running and stepped backwards. "DON'T TAKE ME BACK!" I tried to move, but my body became heavy. A light then abruptly flashed in front of my eyes, and I saw a serpent man with a lab coat in front of me. It turned to pull out a sword. I heard it whisper something incoherent as it was about ready to cut its sword through my body. I wasn't able to brace myself – _

Naomi shot up faster than a person could blink, fear and sweat sticking to her body. Gasping feverishly, the girl grasped her hammering heart as if it were the only thing she had left. She felt dazed and uncontrollably terrified as the nightmare's presence slowly succumbed to reality. Naomi felt herself shaking like a brittle leaf in the wind. In fact, that's exactly what she must be.

"Stupid nightmares." She muttered to herself.

Taking a few minutes to calm herself, Naomi sat up dazed as memories of the lab were recollected. She closed her eyes and scrunched her face, trying to forget. But it was futile. Ever since she first came to Amestris, she would remember everything almost every day. The memories had chained her to the lab making it so that she would never be able to leave its grasp.

The brown-haired girl stared blankly ahead as she imagined herself within the facility's confines. Only those who lived through such pain similar to hers could ever understand her feelings, her fears, her whole being. Being trapped for eight years away from everything you love and forced to do things that could kill you is what she had to live through. It was a miracle she wasn't insane by now. Or maybe she was? It's not like someone could tell if their minds were slowly succumbing to madness.

Naomi shook her head to release the millions of thoughts flooding her mind. She took a deep breath and stood from her bed. She didn't bother changing because she was already wearing the clothes she put on last night. Seeing as she was already up, Naomi decided to go sit in the living room.

* * *

_**Alphonse**_

He watched the night sky finally give way to the rising sun. It was like almost every other night for him, since he wasn't able to sleep. Daydream, yeah, but not sleep. Al missed being able to feel, eat, have a different expression on his face, and so many other things. To put it simply – he missed his old body. Life living in armor was hard to bear, but luckily he and Ed were on their way to discover how to recover what they lost. Alphonse would get his body back while Edward would get limb or limbs back.

A few faint snore escaped Ed's mouth, along with some non-sensible mutterings, and if Al could smile, he would have. One of the perks about not sleeping was that you were able to see some pretty unusual or amusing things; and there were _many _of thosethings. After all, it was his brother, Edward Elric, the _amazing_ Fullmetal Alchemist.

Alphonse sat for a long time when he started heard noises from the room next door. He remembered it was Sissy's room. Was she up already? His question was answered when he heard a door close quietly and footsteps going down the hallway. At this, Al decided to get up himself. Perhaps he would be able to talk to her? He really never got a chance to yesterday.

He moved as quietly as he could with his noisy armor and exited the bedroom. Al made sure that Ed was still sleeping before closing the door behind him. He walked down the hallway and wished that his heavy metal body would make normal human footsteps because he could clearly tell his weren't very soft. Once Al arrived in the living room he saw Sissy on the red couch looking up at him with a burning gaze. Well, it was more of a hollow – or empty – gaze if anything.

"Alphonse? You're wearing your armor already…" She said slightly surprised.

"Y-yeah. I'm weird aren't I?" Al gave a small edgy laugh.

"No, it's just surprising, seeing how it's only six to seven in the morning. Edward said it's for some sort of training, right?"

Al nodded his head in confirmation. He was a little uncomfortable with only the two of them. He wanted to ask some questions, but he didn't know what to ask first. Perhaps he should just chitchat about random things. Or maybe not…he didn't have a clue.

"Y-you can sit down, Alphonse. I don't m-mind." He heard her stutter quietly.

"A-alright!" He said rather quickly and walked over to one of the other unused couches to sit on. At least he wasn't the only one feeling awkward. Now, to break the ice…what should he say? What should he ask? "How do you like it here?"

The girl gave the smallest of smiles, "It's pleasant. I haven't been outside much, but the air smells good. I'm glad I've been able to stay here. What about you?"

"Central is great and all, but I prefer my hometown, Resembool. The sky is so blue and the hills are green and seem to roll endlessly. It's a pretty boring place, but it's nice."

"Wow – after all the wars, I'd had thought that all the big expanses of countryside would be ruined."

"Why'd you think that?"

"It's probably because I have a mind of a seven year old."

"That's not true. You seem really smart to me. You even won against Ed last night!"

"Most likely because Edward – or Ed – has a mind that's lesser than a seven year old."

The two laughed with each other. Al had to admit that she was right. Once their laughing ceased, it became an awkward silence once more. He had to admit that the early morning wasn't really the best time for talking, but once Ed woke up they would get ready to leave for headquarters. They continued their small chat before Alphonse couldn't help but let his curiosity about Sissy and her past take over him.

"Hey, Sissy…" He began.

"Hmmm?"

"Um, well I was wondering if why you use the name 'Sissy' and not your real name…"

A semi-long silence met his question. He waited nervously, slowly starting to panic as the time spent in silence. He was just about to apologize or change the subject, but before he could, she answered him, _"Names_…Names are…painful. When Elicia called me Sissy, and it didn't feel painful, I wanted to use it. I wanted to escape from the pain. I don't know…"

Alphonse looked at her. Her facial expression was hard to read, but her blue eyes looked down in sadness. Her voice also revealed an almost longing-like characteristic. He could somehow understand how she was feeling at that moment. "You miss them, your family, don't you?" He asked unconsciously after a brief a silence. Her face didn't change, but her once-empty eyes, started brimming with tears. He suddenly felt guilty. He shouldn't have said anything else.

"When Maes, Gracia, Elicia took me in, my emotions became m-muddled and unclear...I'm grateful to them, but I want to go. Once I get b-better, I want to go h-home." Sissy choked, cries threatening to rack her body. Al felt helpless watching her. She looked frail as her hands clenched the couch's cushions and her head looked down. Her light brown hair was falling around her face. He wasn't sure whether or not tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry – "Alphonse tried to apologize before a new, and very familiar voice, interrupted him.

"Instead of crying over it, why don't you just look forward to it? Reuniting with your family is something you have the opportunity to do." Ed suddenly appeared and was leaning against the wall of the entrance to the hallway, his blonde hair long and unbraided. "I don't know what happened to you, nor is it any of my business, but hiding your name doesn't do any good either. It the name your parents picked out, if you love them so much, use it."

Sissy stuttered, cries threatening to rack her body. Al felt helpless watching her. She looked frail as her hands clenched the couch's cushions and her head looked down. Her light brown hair was falling around her face. He wasn't sure whether or not tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"I-I'm sorry – "Alphonse tried to apologize before a new, and very familiar voice, interrupted him.

Al was silenced by Ed's sudden entrance in the conversation. Then again, the younger brother could hear scorn etched in Edward's words, and he felt irritated with him. "Brother, when did you get here? And you didn't need to say that so rudely! You don't know what she's been through!"

"Neither do you! Not to mention she doesn't know what _we've _been through," Ed snapped back. "And I've been here since just before you asked 'Sissy' about her name."

"Well you didn't have to put it so rudely –!" Again he was interrupted, but by a feminine voice.

"You are _irritating_ Edward Elric!" Both the brothers looked at her, surprised. "Of course I don't know what you've been through! Then again you don't know what _I've _been through either! I've had _enough _of me dwelling on the past! And don't you give me your lip on when and where I can cry, your in no position to say anything. So I'm _sooo _sorry for being like this! I'm _sooo _sorry for worrying about what could happen to my mental state if someone says my name!"

Sissy was standing now, looking devilishly at Ed. Alphonse was almost too glad it wasn't him getting her death glare. But then Al thought more about what Ed was saying. He probably was worrying in his own way, while trying to maintain his pride as Edward Elric, but in this case that wasn't the smartest move for him.

"Well I'm _sooo _sorry as well! It's not like I can read your past!"

"Then why did you start making assumptions? I don't need your comforting!"

"I-I _wasn't_ trying to _comfort_ you! I was just getting annoyed because you gave a stupid excuse to not share your name and stuff!"

"Why would I share my name with s_trangers_?"

"Are the people in the Hughes family considered as strangers?"

"No, bu – !"

"So _why_ don't you share your _real name_ with them?!"

"Be- because! "

"_**Why**_?!"

The air was tense. The house went silent as it waited for Sissy's reply. Alphonse waited, his soul able to feel the immense pressure on the girl. She had already answered his question before, but it felt different now. The silence proceeded for a long time, before Edward gave a grunt and turned away, most likely to get ready to leave. Sissy remained in the same position, but she was glaring at the floor under her. Alphonse wished to speak, but the silence forbad him to open his mouth.

Ed came back after a minute or two with a braid and his regular clothes and was ready to leave. "Come on, Al. Hughes already left and Colonel Bastard will have my head if I don't get at headquarters in time. That 'Freezer' guy will probably make trouble tonight, too." If Al had a lip, he'd bite it right now. He didn't want to argue, but didn't want to leave Sissy alone.

"Y-yes, Brother. See you, Sissy." He said quietly.

Ed crossed the room and found his way to the entryway; Al was following a few feet behind. His brother opened the door, obviously waiting impatiently for him. Alphonse reached him before Ed could give sharp comment. But before they were able to close the door behind them, something stopped it from closing. The girl appeared behind them while stopping the wood door with her hand. Her eyes didn't hold that empty feeling when she looked at them. Instead, to Al's surprise, they seemed to glitter with depth…like deep blue pools of water.

"N-Naomi Lockhart. My name…" She said softly.

Alphonse watched in disbelief as 'Naomi' stared at them. Actually, she stared more at Ed than Al. He watched as the two exchanged a long look. Alphonse wondered what they were thinking.

Finally, Ed gave a small smile, and laughed a retort before he turned around.

"It sounds like a horse."

* * *

**A/N: My lovely readers! I just wanted you to know that Naomi's name is pronounced (Nay-o-me)And did anyone get the joke I threw in at the end? NAY- o- me. Horse? NAY? Haha. On another note, you see that jar of cookies below? Here is a hint: its disguised as the review button! Click it, tap it, or whatever you want to do with it and leave me a review for a metaphorical cookie! Thanks for reading! ^^**

**Sorry if Edward is a little OOC in this, but he and Naomi will be on good terms! Trust me =) I AM the writer. Ed's just having one of his early morning spur of the moments =P Thx Ed' .Kitten for telling me =)**

**Sky65**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: ****Complete and utter writers block! Sorry this couldn't go out sooner, but I've rewritten this chapter five times- literally. And the thing is, I really don't like it that much! I'm extremley irratated with myself. *Hits head against desk***

**Naomi: As long as I don't die, keep hitting yourself as much as you want! **

**Me: Shut up.**

**Naomi: You have no right to be rude, you've made me expierence so much pain!**

**Me: That's the best part of the story :)**

**Rachel: I agree!**

**Me: Ahhh! How the heck did you get here Rachel?**

**Rachel: I just like to appear out of nowhere! **

**Naomi: Can you just get on with the story?**

**Me: Fine.**

**Rachel: I want pudding. *sings pudding song***

_Thank you everyone who has reviewed, followed, favorited, or anything else. Love you all like I love chocolate ice cream! Thank you for everything!_

_* **TT** means change of setting or POV*__  
_

* * *

** The World of Amestris : Part I**

_**Edward**_

People don't know what it's like when you're walking down the street with a suit of armor that is obviously mad at its older brother. Nor do they know what it feels like when that suit of armor strikes the back of their heads with a bit of brotherly love. Well, at least normal people don't know what it's like. The thing is that this is Edward Elric- that short, crabby, loudmouthed, and slightly annoying teen who is also one of the youngest State Alchemist known in Amestris and has attempted human transmutation as well as many other surprising feats. All in all, Edward isn't part of this world's 'norm'.

"Ouch! Dammit Al, what was that for?" Ed rubbed the back of his head. Alphonse was seriously mad at him. It didn't surprise the older brother in the least.

"Brother you were so mean! First you rudely talk to her, without considering her feelings, and then you say her name sounds like horse! Can you be any _more_ of a jerk?" Al reprimanded him. It was a little more of that brotherly love mentioned before – Ed would do something and Al would quickly set him in place.

"Well I'm sorry! I really didn't mean to. I just woke up! Plus I wasn't in the 'bestest' of moods. Besides, I thought it looked like she forgave me before we left!

"Until you said her name sounded like a horse! Because I'm pretty sure she slammed the door after a split second." Al gave and irritated gesture with his arms.

"I'm sorry! It was just a joke! I know I could've said something genuine, but I just blurted out the first thing I thought of. Don't worry though, I _will _apologize." Ed crossed his arms while he and Al continued to walk down the busy street.

"Yes you will." Alphonse said sternly.

"Yes, _I will_."He ended the conversation.

Throughout the rest of their short trip to headquarters, Ed found himself pondering about what else he could've done or said. He wanted to face palm himself MANY times while he thought about how much of an idiot his was, because in all truth, he felt completely guilty. What would have happened if he had just let Al take care of the rest of their conversation? What if his tone was more considerate? What if he could've said something that made all the difference without hurting her? What if Winry was – oh God, save him from his imagination. If Winry was there, he'd have been "wrenched" until even his soul was throbbing with pain.

He shivered with the thought.

* * *

_**Naomi**_

"I'm fine, Gracia. Ed just has a bad choice of words." Naomi gulped down her water. Eggs and bacon were on her plate and the aroma of it was quite tantalizing.

"Naomi, you are really something." The fifteen year old blushed at Gracia's words. It felt weird having her name called, but it didn't hold any pain that she was anxious about. She wondered if somehow Ed's harsh words woke her to reality. After all, she was the one who was naïve to believe that her name would hurt her so badly. But what else was she supposed to think?

"Is Elicia still asleep?" she asked.

"Yes, she was probably really tired after yesterday. I'm surprised she didn't wake up while you and Ed were arguing."

"Yeah…sorry about that, I know it was uncalled for, the both of us should have considered the time before yelling at each other in the morning."

"Its fine, you know. After all, you finally told me your name, Naomi. It's lovely!"

"But you know…the next time I see Ed, I'll give him a horse. Though I won't promise it won't bite," Naomi smirked.

Gracia laughed and smiled sweetly at her. It was hard not to smile back. Naomi started eating her breakfast, the woman did the same. They would talk about some things and other things, like a normal morning. Although, it was a little quieter than normal because Elicia was not at the table. When the two finished, Naomi exited the kitchen and headed to the restroom to brush her teeth and comb her hair. She let out a sigh. Staring back at herself in the, she still couldn't believe it was her. Her once gaunt flesh was now rightly plumped while her hair gleamed from her recent shower. She looked like a normal girl. When she reached home, who'd ever believe she was kidnapped and used as a test subject? Then she grimaced. She moved her hand under her hair and held the back of her neck.

That's where it should be. The proof.

TT

"I'm going to the park!" Naomi called over her shoulder while she was prepared to leave.

"What? Why so early? And what it if you get lost? Do you even know where it is?" Gracia appeared in the living room and gave the fifteen year old an apprehensive stare. Naomi bit her lip. Geez, she just wanted to investigate where she had landed magically. Besides that, it was a nice day out.

"I heard Maes saying it was only a mile away- I go right on the street outside the complex and then take the first left I see." She explained while making the cutest face she could. "I'll be back soon. If you have a cell phone I can always bring it with me."

"A what?"

"A cell phone…you know…that magical device that every person in this world should know about or have…you seriously don't know?" The teen gasped as Gracia kept her confused expression. This country was so poor! Not only did they have antique phones and cars, but they didn't even know what some of the most society-needed items were. Was Amestris some deserted island that wasn't discovered yet? Or did it have an argument with the world and shut itself away? But how the hell did they not know what a freaking cell phone was? Even her great-grandmother knew what it was! She chuckled.

"Naomi?"

"U-uh, never mind. Don't worry; I'll be back a little after noon."

"Fine, but be careful, you hear me?"

"Yes! Thank you," Naomi gave a smile and left the home. She went down the stairs carefully, hoping she wouldn't fall. She had only been down them one other time, and that was when Gracia made Naomi go with her to shop for clothes. "I'm seriously going to fall." She mumbled.

TT

**_Naomi's POV_**

The sun felt really nice on my skin, I decided. After being in the park for hours, I really felt like I was back at home. I was undisturbed as I dug through the dirt under trees to find roly-poly's or fiddle around with the soft grass in search of ladybugs. What can I say? I'm in love with those creatures!

During my time at the park, no other person came, not that it bothered me in the least, but I thought it strange. There were also those loud random shouts that were something like commands, but I was too busy searching for the bugs to really understand what was going on. It was only until after the shadows were drawn out and the sky was beginning to change colors did I get a startling surprise.

I heard a scream.

It wasn't one of those commanding types of shouts I heard earlier; it was filled with terror and horror. I would know. Getting up to my feet, I looked around. My mental shell was put back on, to slow the growing fear inside myself. I looked around the park, which had a few scattered trees that were enough to block some of my vision of the streets and buildings in the surrounding area. I saw nothing suspicious. I bit my lip, afraid. I stood there for what seemed like forever. Sharp and unfamiliar sounds echoed in the air.

Suddenly I jumped with shock as a huge roar rumbled through the ground and smoke billowed in the air about a mile away in the east.

"What in the world…" My heart raced. I had no clue what was going on. I just wanted to be inside the Hughes' household and safe. I twiddled my hands and let out a soft whine. It was unnatural, like I was a dog or something. "Okay- I'll just walk home. Everything will be fine." I told myself.

Yeah, and so guess what I did? I tried walking home.

Big mistake.

Next time something like this happens, I never want to listen to myself again.

Let's just say, I'm prone to bad luck.

* * *

**See what I mean? Sorry guys- you got a short and crappy chapter with a cliffy at the end. I even made you wait so long for this, too. I'm so evil right? So if you like or hated it, please let me know! How, you ask? Well take a look at that button below this note. Just press it and leave a review! Btw, I changed the summary^^ It's just a glimpse of what's to come, so enjoy!**

**Rachel: Want me to appear again? Then give me pudding while reviewing! **

**Me: Sorry Rachie, no one wants you.**

**Rachel: LIAR! EVERYBODY WANTS RACHEL! Tell her everybody!**

**Me: Heh. Yeah, tell her and prove her wrong =P**

_Thanks,_

_Sky65_


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: IMPORTANT INFORMATION: To see the progress of any story please check out my Bio! And has anyone noticed how Naomi didn't react to Ed's metal arm? That'll be explained soon^^ Please enjoy this chapter! After days of writers-coma (worse than writers block =P) I finally finished the chapter.**

* * *

**The World of Amestris: Part II**

**_Naomi POV_**

I could smell smoke in the air as I made my out of the park, uneasiness about the situation made me clench my fists into tight balls. I stood at the rim of the park and looked in the direction I should've been heading, only to be surprised. "What? Why are the sidewalks and road blocked off?!" I gasped with frustration. I was now extremely confused. At the end of the street I needed to take, there were wood boards blocking the main road and men in uniforms spread around it. They were part of the military. I knew that wasn't a very good sign.

_I'm sorry Gracia; I should've listened to you_, I thought grimly. I didn't want to deal with this. First a scream, then an explosion, and now the roads were blocked off. Now what? Oh, I don't know, maybe an encounter with the officers? Seriously, I never had any intention to meet with them, but they must've saw me standing at the edge of the park and so two of them came over. I saw one of them have his hand near his holster. Apparently I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The worst part was that I had frozen up, and wasn't able to move a muscle. _Oh shit._

They were a few yards away when one of the men stopped and asked, "Miss, what are you doing here?" My heart raced, yet my face masked any of my thoughts. I didn't reply. Old habits don't die fast. Again the officer repeated, "Miss, again, what are you doing here? You do know that all civilians are supposed to be either in their homes or have been evacuated off the streets."

I looked down at my feet and stuttered, "A-a-actually, I-I've been here s-since t-this morning. I-I have no c-clue what's going on. I heard a scream. I then felt a huge e-explosion. So I was just about to leave to head home." I was never one to talk confidently. But listening to my voice, I wanted to hit myself. Sure I was able to hide my face, but my voice could easily betray me. That's probably my main reason I avoided talking in the lab. Stupid voice.

My eyes travelled up towards the two officers. They were looking at me curiously. I felt uneasy. "Well, right now would be a bad time to try getting home… that explosion is proof. I'd have an officer bring you to your home or to a safer location, but we need every person to secure this area. The criminal is on the run. He's very dangerous, and we need to get him."

"Oh." I breathed. All of this for one man? Must be some hard-nut kind of criminal I deducted. "Then I'll just go home on my own. It won't matter much t-to me. I've b-been through a lot of scarier s-situations." I said quickly. It was just as I was about to speak, when I noticed a flash of dark clothes in my peripheral vision. It had just turned onto the street from an alleyway. "What the-?" My frozen muscles now pointed my finger at the figure I saw. The officers noticed it too, and became alert.

"Get back Miss!" I stepped back, until my back was against the trunk of a tree. The two officers already were calling their companions.

The next minute or two were so blurred, that I was lost in what happened.

* * *

**_Naomi_**

She inched herself around the tree trunk so that the shadow of the tree hid some of her body, not that it would do any good, but she couldn't help but feel safer in the shadow. But now her focus was on everything that was happening in front of her. She stared in shock.

She watched as the man, most likely the criminal, moved effortlessly to avoid the gunshots fired upon him. That wasn't even the grueling part. Naomi watched in horror as his hand would grasp an officer and make the officer scream in agony from some unknown force. The officer's body would then drop to the ground, unmoving. Her stomach felt queasy. What the hell was happening? What the hell was this man?

She watched from the tree as he ran past the blocking sign. She looked at the bodies on the ground. There were a few officers whom started to move after being in shock, but Naomi kept frozen in place, watching where the man vanished. The sky grew darker as the sun set even further in the sky. Noises of footsteps began to echo through the streets, and Naomi glanced in the direction where the criminal first appeared. And as if on cue, she noticed figures running towards the scene of the crime.

She heard one familiar voice, out of all odds, "What the- THAT BASTARD! Come on, Al! We have to stop this guy before he does anything else. She watched as the two, now recognizable figures, ran down the street to inspect the bodies. Her lips trembled but she managed to call out to them.

"A-Alphonse, Edward!" They turned to the sound of her voice and she felt her throat run dry.

Their expressions, at least Ed's expression, were by far the most baffled she'd ever seen it. The two brothers ran towards her, "N-Naomi! What happened?! Why are you here?" She heard Al's voice. He was shocked and worried. She bit her lip again to stop it from trembling.

"T-there was a man, who ran through here. H-he attacked the officers when they tried to stop them, and now," Naomi choked up, her eyes threatened to tear up, "-and now they're dead."

Ed furrowed his eyebrows in anger, enraged. "Al, stay here with Naomi, I'm going after him. Which way did he go?"

"What do you mean? Y-you can't go after him! He- he's a monster! He did something – supernatural – to those officers…" Naomi sputtered incredulously. "If you go after him, you'll die!" Edward looked at her for a few moments and gave her the smallest of smirks. An incredible feat, given the situation. The boy was able to retain his same behavior without effort.

"You're forgetting who you're dealing with," he pointed his thumb to his chest and gave a broader smirk, "I'm the Fullmetal Alchemist."

* * *

**_Edward_**

He gave the girl a smirk, as he announced his title. Ed inwardly dreaded what she had seen, but kept it to his self. He also tried to not think about what he had said to her before, he'd apologize, but right now wasn't the best time. It would be better if Al took care of her while he chased after the monster. That man needed to be stopped before anything else.

Now the girl was looking at him, disbelief and fear coursing through the once emptied eyes. What was she thinking? Why was she here? Ed wanted to ask her questions, but they were too short on time for anything. Then finally she spoke, "Tell me, what does that mean?" Edward looked at her in surprise; he had thought she'd known if she'd never questioned him or anything.

"I'm a State Alchemist. I work for the military." He replied quickly. He needed to leave now, before the man got farther away.

It was Naomi's turn to look confused or shocked. He studied her face for clues to what was on her mind, but just saw her pale skin glow faintly in the ever darkening street. Surprisingly, his gaze was captured by her eyes; they held tinges of different hues of blue. They were intriguing and stirring now that they held something within them. Ed blinked twice before coming back to his senses. He didn't have time for this!

"Al, stay here!" He called after turning around to run off.

"Wait!" The girl called suddenly. He stopped mid-jog and whipped his head around. What did she want? He had to go! Frustration slightly tinged with desperation began to pump through his blood.

"What?"

"An alchemist… what does alchemist mean?"

Again Edward felt surprised. Did this girl know _nothing_? And why was she asking everything right now, of all times? He gave a small huff and clapped his hand together and hit the ground. Blue electricity started to spark, and he focused on constructing a simple staff. When he was done he threw it to Al, who caught it easily. "An alchemist studies the science of alchemy. This is the product of that science."

* * *

**_Naomi POV_**

I stared at his red flannel coat as the teen ran off. I was still in a daze. Don't get me wrong, I was dazed already because of the earlier attack, but now I was in a trancelike state. The blue electricity gave me an eerie feeling. I didn't know why, but I hated it. There was also the fact that Ed managed to make a staff of some sort _from _that electricity. I was confused. Wait- scratch that. I was _beyond _confused.

When Ed ran off, slightly hesitant to leave yet all too impatient to catch the criminal, it was hard to keep silent, but that's how I stayed.

"Naomi?" My trance was finally suspended when Alphonse talked. But when I turned to the suit of armor, I could feel my face grow expressionless. Or was it shocked? I didn't know. I didn't care.

"Alphonse. Give me a hand and help these officers." I commanded monotonously. I could feel myself slipping behind my outer shell, as if I was in the lab once more. I tried hard to keep all my emotions intact, but it was difficult. Too many things had been happening all at once. I wanted to curse myself. I hate how mentally weak I was.

"Will you be okay?" I nodded subconsciously at Alphonse's question.

We then began to check the officers, and luckily help was on the scene only a minute afterwards. There were seven officers in total. Only four were left alive, all were in critical condition. The other military officials who came on the scene took them away to the nearest hospital. They questioned Alphonse, and he gave him all the information he could. I was now waiting in the sidelines, thinking about everything, hoping not to succumb to numbness in my mind.

As I stood on the sidelines, I began to think about everything. A minute hadn't even gone buy when I gained a craving for answers. I wanted to ask Alphonse about alchemy, about the criminal, about him and Ed, about the military, about the technology, and about so many other things. I wanted to ask him everything! That is, everything besides the most important thing…Amestris.

I've avoided the question for far too long, I admit, always giving out excuses to why things are the way they are. They're old fashioned, they're clueless about modern technology, and yet now they have some advanced science that uses electricity to create things by clapping their hands together and hitting the ground. Something didn't settle right in my stomach. The strangeness of everything was almost too much. I was so caught up in being free and being happy that I'd see my family soon, that I didn't see the obvious.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I jumped when Al reappeared, towering in front of me. "Si- I mean Naomi, can I take you to the Hughes's house? Ed's going to need my help soon. I don't trust him on his own."

"…Just be careful after you drop me off. Both you and Edward, okay?" I said quietly. I thought I felt Al's gaze from behind the metal helmet as I looked at the decorating spike protruding the armor's chest-plate. I don't know why I said that of all things, but for some reason, I felt something about these boys that made me worry. Sure Edward and I hadn't got along too well, but I had to admit he was the first guy my age I've ever fought with. Accomplishment or what? Then there was Alphonse, strange at first sight, but so kind and mellow. She couldn't help but wonder if he looked like Ed behind the mask.

"Okay, I promise, "I raised my head to Al's quiet voice, "and don't worry, I'll make Ed apologize to you for this morning when this is over with!" I looked up and smiled. How could I not?

"Alright, then I'll try to keep up."

"You can ride on my back!"

"Its fine, that armor is probably heavy enough to deal with."

"Uh, don't worry…I use alchemy to make it move! Yeah, so it's easy enough…" Al told her. Well why argue with that? My knees felt like they were about ready to fall off. Today was filled with physical activities, and I hadn't done much with my body in forever. So I gave him an "okay" and climbed onto his back, my feet using his hands like a platform.

"Thanks, Al."

TT

When we finally arrived at the Hughes household, it was already dark. Streetlights were turning on up and down the streets as if they were dominos. I stepped down from Alphonse's back and steadied myself once I touched the ground.

"See you later, Naomi. We'll be back soon, just in time for dinner!" Al said to me before running to aid Edward, wherever he was. I gave a huff and entered the complex; the menacing stairs before me made my legs ache even more by just thinking about walking them. I snorted, "I should've had him carry me up these stupid things." That's when a silly idea jumped into my train of thoughts. It was a slightly amusing idea as well.

I walked up to the first step of the stairs and studied it. "Alright…and…WHOOOSH!" I clapped my hands together and hit the ground.

* * *

**_Edward_**

"There's nowhere to run now." Ed growled, smirking with the intent of victory. He had the man pinned in the middle of an alleyway, Alphonse blocking the only other escape route.

* * *

**_Alphonse_**

After meeting up with Ed, they finally were able to corner the criminal. But it was far from over, as they would learn. The man was unpredictable. He even possessed a Philosopher's Stone.

* * *

**_Angela_**

She gave a sigh as she sorted through the many boxes. Her legs were cramped after being in the same position looking over all her possessions in the attic; the hard wood flooring didn't help at all. It was during this point that Angela tossed her hands up into the air and said to herself, "Alright, break!"

The blonde haired women stood up on her sore legs and gave a massive stretch. There were just too much crap to go through, and she still hadn't found what she was looking for. It was frustrating because this never happened to her. She was _Angela_. _The _Angela Cross. She was famous for so many things including being one of the most organized people ever. The thing is – she wasn't the one to organize all these old boxes, her grandmother was. Her grandmother had given her one box of her old junk saying to keep it for the next generations to come. It was a stupid idea, but every person in her family contributed as well, adding to the number of boxes, and guess who got to store it all?

Angela gave another irritated sigh while looking at the number of boxes left. There were now only five. Out of these five, she'd find it. It had to be in here. She knew it was in here, her grandmother's stash of books. Angela closed her eyes and tried to think long and hard about the title.

Was it Medalist? Mentalist? Full Moon? She tried to remember, but it was futile. Too many years had passed to be able to recall the name. Why was she looking for the books in the first place? Angela didn't know, but ever since she saw the video with the ribbon hands, she wanted to shudder. It had all felt too…familiar.

"Oh just Damn all of this!" Angela suddenly yelled and kicked one of the unopened boxes to vent her frustration. This was just too much! All she wanted to do was find a way to make a portable virtual reality game that used all the body stimuli to make it as real as can be – in other words, she wanted to make another world, as real as the one they lived in; she didn't give a damn about any of the other crap! She rubbed her eyes with her hands and finally stared down at the ground. What was she doing?

At that moment her eye caught a glimpse of a few book tips protruding from the kicked-down box. Her mouth practically gaped in shock. Without another wasted second, she leaped for the books and grasped them. She looked down at the four books she now carried.

_Black Butler._

No. That wasn't it, she furrowed her eyebrows.

_Black Butler II._

Again, not it.

She flipped over the other two books, and then widened her eyes. She held her breath as she read the titles. Yes. This is what she had been looking for. Her gaze was locked onto the last two books, her eyes darting back and forth between both of them. She gave a wide grin as she read the title of both the books out loud, as if to confirm their existence:

_"Fullmetal Alchemist."_


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: I. AM. SORRY. I never meant for this to be so late, but at least it turned out for the better. This is an important bit of the story, and I hope you enjoy it. I really can't keep excusing myself for my lateness on updating, but there is one thing that is really hindering me: My father won't let me on the cp at all during the week. It annoys the crap out of me, but whatever. Here you guys go, thank you for being patient with me! Love you all! Please review, follow, or favorite!**

* * *

**The World of Amestris: III**

Naomi gave a sigh as she looked at the unaltered ground. She was hoping to _somehow_ make a long staff and vault the accursed steps. Now she'd have to walk up them with lead-like legs. Apparently alchemy needed a specialized arm or something – just like Edward's. Yes, Naomi did see the teen's metal arm. It was that very morning when she saw it, but it didn't dawn to her as important. After all- her father had lost a limb in the War. She quickly put away her thoughts about her family and began her ascent.

She groaned with each and every step. The fifteen-year-old _really _didn't want to walk steps. Sure it was better than dying, but then again, she was tired. Sometimes being tired was all it took.

When at last Naomi reached the right floor strode over to the Hughes' apartment. She knocked on the door and waited for Gracia. It took no more than a few seconds for the door to open and the mother's figure to step out.

Gracia's eyes closed and she took a breath of relief while her hand-made its way to her heart. When the mother opened her eyes again, they were almost frantic-looking. "Naomi – don't you ever give me another heart attack again. You said you'd be back a little after noon, and it's already dark out! Not only that, but the streets were being blocked off and I wouldn't have been able to search for you! Do you know how dangerous it could be if you're out there alone? You could have been taken or kidnapped or..or assulted. Did it occur to you that you needed to come back sooner or even…" she suddenly stopped, sighed, and let her face relax, "…I'm sorry...ignore me please. I've been worrying way to long. I'm sure you have reasons for being so late. Come on in. You can help set the table for dinner."

Naomi gave a small apologetic smile and muttered a 'sorry' to Gracia after stepping in and closing the door behind. On their way to the kitchen, her face scrunched up into a pout as she passed the comfy-looking couches. That's when the soreness and the bitterness of the entire day hit her – and she suddenly felt exhausted. Her abrupt energy crises caused the girl to stay put in the living room and moan out loud, "Do I _have_ to set the table? I'm worn out!" Gracia turned and raised an eyebrow at Naomi's tone. The woman had heard the girl complain before, but never like she did just then. There was a brief pause before the mother asked, "How come?"

"Um well…kind of com …om…ings hap…yeah." Naomi ducked her head and mumbled incoherently.

"I can't really understand you, I hope you know."

"I'm sorry." the girl apologized softly, without hesitation. "I…just…don't want you to worry, is all."

"That makes me worry more."

"I'm sorry!"

"You don't need to apologize, Naomi. Just tell me when you're ready, alright?"

"Yes!"

"Then go rest up until dinner."

"Really?"

"Yes."

-x-

Neither Maes, nor Edward, nor Alphonse came for dinner that night. Besides that, vigorous tremors would shake the apartment building as they ate. During their meal though, Gracia kept a smile and good mood to wave away what was happening outside the building- but it didn't cease the subtle movement of her fingers or constant flicking of her eyes. Even the worry lines on her forehead would crease every now and them, by which Naomi used to ascertain how uneasy she was truly feeling. The mother's uneasiness soon rubbed off on Naomi herself, but didn't affect the noisy Elicia whatsoever. After perhaps a maximum of thirty minutes of dinner, Naomi excused herself from the table and headed towards her bedroom. Another headache was starting to ring in her ears, so she entered the room and dramatically fell on the bed.

One hour passed. Two hours. Three. It was impossible to even close her eyes while she lay unmoved on the still-made bed. Images of the shady criminal killing the officers haunted her mind. Sure Naomi had already accepted the fact that death was a part of her life, but the difference is that she never witnessed death firsthand. Not only that, but guilt was soon eating away at her insides. Maes still didn't know her name, and it was killing her. She knew that she couldn't sleep as long as the father was left clueless. Another hour passed until finally there was the sound of a door creaking open.

Without another thought, the girl quickly sat up and stumbled out of the bed. She clumsily exited the room and walked up the hallway and into the living room. Maes had just hooked his coat on the coat rack and was looking rather beat. She frowned, feeling unhappy about how long his work shifts were. As soon she entered the room he looked up and noticed her. Her rubbed his droopy eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating her shadowy figure. "Sissy, what are you doing up so late? You should be sleeping."

"Naomi." She blurted out without any consideration.

"What?" He said, bewildered.

"M-My name. It's my name, Naomi Lockhart." She gave him a ghost of a smile in the dim light from the moonlight coming in from a window.

Maes continued to stare at her through the darkness, still confused. Then his face gave a thoughtful look; what she had said finally dawned on him. He gave a short sigh and rubbed the back of his head. "Well that was sudden." Naomi nodded her head with so many emotions boiling within her.

"I'm sorry. I've been insensitive." Naomi said hoarsely. "You guys aren't strangers. You've done everything imaginable for me, and I-I couldn't even give you my real name. I'm sorry…" She sniffed at her running nose.

It took no more than a few seconds for the black-haired man to understand the girl and come forward. His arm extended forward and his hand rested on her shoulder. His eyes glowed with affection as if she was one of his own children. "Its okay, Naomi. You've been through a lot. I understand, you only needed some time." Naomi nodded and rubbed her eyes while Maes grinned. He raised his hand from her shoulder and ruffled her hair. "Thank you for telling me. Now go on and get some sleep."

The corners of the girl's mouth curved gently upwards. She was about to turn around, but a silent alarm went off in her head. "Uh- um, where are Edward and Alphonse?" she asked the father.

He gave a sigh, "They're alright. Ed was hurt, but it's nothing serious. He's at the hospital now."

"What!?" she croaked. "He'll be fine, right?"

"Yes, you don't need to worry. Alphonse is with him."

"Are you going to the hospital tomorrow?"

"Yes. Do you want to tag along? Even if you guys haven't started out on the best terms -"

"I'll come!" she interrupted. "I- I have to thank him."

Maes scratched his chin stubble while piecing things together and muttered. "And I was sure you were mad at him from last night."

* * *

-x-

_**Edward**_

"I told you not to go after him."

"Yeah, well if I hadn't gone after the guy, then Central would be a mess."

"Well you did mighty fine, because it's a mess right now. I mean it's _ridiculous! _Have you _seen _the damage?"

"It was that bastard's fault, not mine." Ed huffed in annoyance. Naomi was leaning back in a chair next to the hospital bed, fiddling with his pocket watch that she had so kindly taken from him. "Can you give that back now?"

"No." she muttered a reply. "It won't open! You locked it up or something."

"Yeah, so what?" Edward said smugly. He was now sitting up and looking down at the girl who was trying so hard to open the watch. _Can't she see its sealed shut?_ He snickered to himself.

"What's inside? Is there an embarrassing love letter that you secretly like to read? Or is there some kind of picture of you kissing a certain girl with blonde hair?"

Ed's face reddened like a ripe tomato. "Where the hell did you get such ideas!? Did Al say something?" He yelled at her. She just cracked up from amusement which made his face even redder with anger. "Stop laughing! Whatever is in the watch is none of your damn business!"

"Okay, okay. Don't get pissed at me now," she tossed it to him without another thought. He caught it with his hand but then cursed when he felt pain stab his wounded shoulder. He rolled his eyes in annoyance caused by the damn wound. When he glanced back at Naomi, she had for some reason stopped laughing. She was now looking intently at him like a piece of bacon- wait, what? Why would he think that?! No, she was just staring at him as if she wanted to say something. Finally Edward gave her an odd look and grunted, "What?" Naomi's mouth opened partially from surprise, but she closed it and coughed uncomfortably. That irked Ed even more and so he pronounced each syllable obnoxiously, "WH- A- T?"

She answered after a moment's pause, "Ed, thank you."

The blonde blinked a few times, "For what?"

"For yelling at me yesterday."

"Wha-what? Look I'm sor- I'm sorry! I didn't consider anything I said and I regret it, okay?" Ed stammered and avoided her gaze. There was a short pause. Then, the blonde heard a little giggle that gradually changed into loud laugh. Edward flicked his eyes to the girl and glared. He snarled with frustration, "Don't laugh! I apologized, happy?! You can either accept it or forget about it, and right now I'd rather you choose the second option if you're just going to laugh!"

The young alchemist watched the girl continue to giggle to herself with his furrowed eyebrows – but for some reason his angry expression slowly dissolved. He started observing the way her light brown tresses would glide across the sides of her head when she laughed and how her eyes took a kitten-like form when pinched shut. When at last her giggles receded until nothing put a few gasping breaths, she looked up at him once more and replied speedily, "I'm not laughing at your apology, in fact I accept it. It's just that you're reaction was hilarious! You thought that I was reminding you of yesterday so you'd feel guilty, when that really wasn't what my intention was, and if that wasn't all, you apologized to me while unaware of what I really meant which was "Thank you" because I really mean thank you and that "–

"What the hell are you saying?" Ed interjected before she could finish, finding it difficult to keep up with the words that were jumping out of her mouth.

"Uh, sorry. Um, I guess I was saying is that I accept your apology, even if I don't need it. You were kind of right about everything, so I wanted to thank you." Before he could react, the girl's face was thrust near his. Edward stifled a small gasp of surprise. He could smell her minty breath on his face before she pecked his check with her lips. Edward could feel a deep blush heat up his face as he stared, dumbfounded, at Naomi. As soon as she pulled back, she smiled, but then the tips of her grin slowly pulled themselves into a frown as the room remained silent. "So?"

Ed remained flushed, still embarrassed and unsure of how the heck he should react or what he could even say in the situation. Naomi slowly brought her hand up to her face and scratched in confusion. "You're supposed to say something, like - your welcome or I'm glad you're happy. Oh! –and then you have to pat my head." The girl sat back down in her chair, slightly discouraged.

"W-why exactly should I have to do that? And why the hell did you kiss me on the cheek?!" Ed forced out a sentence, unnerved.

"'Cause Mommy does. Daddy says it too. Yet, you don't say it. Why are you such a jerk?" Naomi pouted. Ed raised his eyebrow at her answer. From what he just heard, the girl sounded either like a young child or a complete idiot- or a mix of both. "And why did your face look really weird and red after I thanked you? Geez, I just gave you a 'thank you' peck on the cheek. " Well she could've said that earlier, Edward thought. At least her actions finally made a scrap of sense to him. She _thanked_ him. That's _all_…yet his pride was hurt as soon as she mentioned his face. He had been so taken aback that it was probably the weirdest expression of his life. Curse expressions. Curse his short body. All people could do was point out his flaws.

His voice rose in irritation once more, "What's wrong with my face, huh? Is it too good for you?"

"Nothing's wrong," Naomi snickered back at him, now watching him with an amused expression, "it just looked funny."

"My face doesn't, and never did, look weird or funny. Not once. " Ed growled back.

"Yeah, it must've been my imagination." The girl said frankly, trying to keep a straight face.

" 'Yeah' is right. If anybody looked weird, it'd be you."

It was during his sentence that the door swung opened and a large suit of armor entered the room. Ed didn't need a second look to know that it was Alphonse, and he silently cursed his luck.

"Brother! Say –"

"I'll pass." Ed grunted, annoyed at Al's bad timing.

"Hey Aleyfonsey!" The girl swerved her head to watch his brother enter his room with big eyes. Ed could feel a grimace creep on his face as Naomi called his brother something bizarre.

"Aleyfonsey? You have a big imagination." Alphonse laughed as he turned his shiny head towards the brunette.

"More like a poor excuse for imagination." Ed harrumphed.

"Then I guess I can call you Metaly." Naomi piped in. He groaned in frustration. "Just call me Ed or Edward and call Alphonse Al or Alphonse."

"You're boring." The girl pouted across from him. "At least Al is more fun."

"Good for him."

"She has a point, Ed." Al laughed. "You think fun is just running around catching bad guys."

"He does? Well that's not right, chasing bad guys is dangerous!" Naomi covered her mouth in surprise, "you should have some _real _fun some time, Edward!"

The older brother felt heat rising to his head. It's not like he was mad at Al or Naomi, but he felt frustrated. He clenched his automail hand. Fun? He had no time for it, Al needed his body back! "First of all, people can think what they want. Second, I'm so sorry I'm no fun, but it's not like I have a choice in the matter!" Edward blurted out. "If having fun stops us from getting a damned Philosopher's Stone, then there's no point in it!"

He watched Naomi's body stiffen with surprise and Alphonse look at him with his helmet's hollowed eyes. The alchemist sulked inwardly because he seemed to always ruin the good mood. Suddenly he realized that Naomi was in the room and he panicked briefly. His golden eyes darted away and he grumbled, "Never mind."

Unexpectedly, and _very_ unexpectedly, Naomi bolted up from her seat. Edward's reflexes acted without a thought and he ended up recoiling and falling out on the other side of the hospital bed. "OW!" he yelled."WHAT THE HELL?"

"Brother!" "Ed!" He heard Alphonse and Naomi exclaim at the same time.

"I'm _fine_." Through his clenched teeth, the teenager stood up holding his shoulder that stabbed with fresh pain. His bottom also felt bruised. Annoyance radiated from him as he stood. Then he pointed an accusing finger at Naomi, "And what's with you and jumping up out of the blue!

"I'm sorry!" squeaked Naomi. "When I heard 'Philosopher Stone' I couldn't help it!"

The Elric brothers stiffened. With a cautious look, Ed narrowed his eyes at her, "Why?" She rubbed her cheek as if she was trying to remember. After a few seconds, Naomi sighed.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean don't know? Are you stupid or what?" He said incredulously, ignoring one of Alphonse's sharp comments about watching what he says. The girl looked at him with her blue eyes, irritation residing in their depths.

"I'm _not _stupid. I- I was just was spastic for a brief moment. It's- It's nothing new." Ed watched Naomi bite her lip in attempt to either hide her embarrassment or calm herself. Suspicion slowly coursed through the boy's body. She was hiding something. At least, that's what he thought.

* * *

**-x-**

_**Alphonse**_

It had been a week and three days since his brother had been hospitalized. Al knew that they would be leaving the hospital soon, but he felt disappointed at the thinning amount of time that he and Ed had could spend with Naomi. She had visited them a few times during the hospitalization (when she tagged along with Hughes during his regular check-ups-with-the Elrics). He was sure that the three of managed to somehow get along quite well, even if Edward and Naomi had a particular kind of friend-enemy-mutual sort of relationship.

Al admitted to himself that the girl was slightly odd in the way she did things, said things, or when she would think of things. There were some days when Naomi would act younger than she really was, or much older than she was. There were so many characteristics about the girl that it made it hard to decide her personality. Then there was that one thing that worried Alphonse was that Naomi seemed to keep a distant look in her eyes. She also looked confused or spaced out for a little while before regaining her senses. He wondered if that was normal for her, or if there was something on her mind.

His observations of the girl's actions also brought the thought of her sudden reaction after Ed mentioned the Philosopher Stone. She was confused, yet in that very moment of when she jumped up - it was impossible to disregard the moment's recognition she had.

* * *

_**-x-**_

_**Roy Mustang**_

"So you're saying you found a girl lying in the middle of the grass of Central Park and that she is from some place called California, and you've let her live in your house without informing anyone."Roy Mustang gave his old friend a skeptical look. Hughes stood across from him, giving an almost nervous grin.

"That's about it."

Mustang heaved a sigh. Just when one thing's resolved –something extremely random just pops up out of nowhere. "Now tell me, where is this girl now and how long has it been since you've found her."

"Well Naomi, the girl, has been here close to three weeks now, and is now at the hospital visiting with the Elrics, sir." Mustang's eyes lit with surprise, but when he thought about it, he remembered that they were all staying in the same house. But a question was still lingering in his mind."So where is California?"

"…"

"Well, Hughes?"

Hughes hesitated before answering, "No where."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean what I say, California doesn't exist. I researched it for over two weeks, but there are no such maps or records with that specific name. I looked at every town, city, area, and country that has been recorded – but there isn't a place called California. "

Roy felt dissatisfaction at the answer. "Now tell me, how is that exactly possible? She didn't just come from the sky, did she now?" He said coolly, calculating the range of possibilities that could clarify the girl's sudden appearance. "Does she have amnesia?"

"I considered that at first, Roy, but she said she remembers everything before waking up here. Not only that, but when I found her, it was obvious that she wasn't from around here. Her accent is pretty different, and she speaks of peculiar and highly incredible things." Mustang grunted. The rational part of him asked why he was wasting his time with a girl who could easily be dealt with by other officials but the seriousness that his friend was taking the situation kept Roy focused on the matter. Maes started speaking once more, "And there is another thing…"

* * *

-x-

_**Naomi**_

She yawned and rubbed her eyes, slightly unsure of where she was. Her right side felt sore, and that's when she realized that she was leaning on Alphonse's armor on the bench in Ed's hospital room. That's right – Hughes hadn't come to pick her up yet, and she must have fallen asleep while waiting. The girl let out a sigh while stretching her body. She looked out the window to see the evening sky slowly paint the different color hues in the great expanse of sky. Even from a window, it mystified Naomi.

"Oh, you're awake."

Naomi glanced up at Alphonse and yawned, "How long was I out?"

"Only thirty minutes." Naomi bobbed her head up and down slowly before glancing at the hospital bed across from them. Edward was passed out under the covers of the bed, taking his daily cat nap. It was impressive how long the boy could sleep when given the time to. He had been asleep for at least two hours before she gave in to a nap of her own.

She yawned again and asked sleepily, "So, do you know what time Maes was going to pick me up?"

"No, but I'm sure –" Alphonse by a loud bang of a door.

"Naaaaoooooomiiiii! Sorry I'm late! Oh look at Edward- he's so adorable when he sleeps! Well, not as adorable as Elicia, because she's an angel." The pale wooded door was pushed open as Hughes strolled in. Naomi chuckled at the father's timing. "Did you keep Alphonse un-lonely while Ed was sleeping?

"Yes she did Mr. Hughes," Al answered for her.

"For a little while, but then I feel asleep." she chipped in.

"Well, that's good to hear. Anyways -ah here he is. Naomi, I want you to meet Colonel Roy Mustang, my good buddy." Naomi lifted her head a little higher to see a man with sleek black hair standing behind Maes. The man carefully walked forward, his onyx eyes examined her physical appearance closely. The unfamiliar man stood tall, clad in the same dark blue uniform as Hughes, but he had a commanding aura surrounding him. Naomi stood up and walked a step forward, but was a little hesitant of extending her hand to greet him.

"H-hello. I-I'm Naomi Lockhart, um, Mr. Roy Mustang." She stuttered.

The colonel gave a small smirk and extended his own hand and shook hers, "Colonel Mustang – and it's nice to meet you, Miss Lockhart. I've been informed of your…current predicament."

Naomi shrugged and released her grasp of Mustang's head. "I guess that explains why you're here."

"Anyways, will you please follow us? There are things that need to be discussed."

"No thanks."

"What?"

"I said no thanks, Mr. Mustang. If you have something to discuss, you can discuss it here."

The black-haired man raised his eyebrow in surprise, but then gave a grunt of laughter. "And I thought Fullmetal was arrogant." At his sentence, Naomi heard a moan come from the hospital bed. She glanced to see a slowly awakening Edward sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Apparently the colonel also noticed this, but tried to pay no heed to the groggy blonde. "Why not?"

"You're scary." She said in a softer voice, but still very straightforward.

"Naomi, don't worry he won't hurt you," Alphonse interjected (out of nowhere), straightening up his armor and moving slightly closer to her."

Uh- What's going on**?"** Ed yawned in the background, confused.

"I'm sure you're right, Alphonsey, but he just feels scary."

"I assure you, Miss Lockhart, I don't bite." Mustang smirked with amusement.

**"**Hey, what the hell are you doing here Colonel Bastard?!" A moody voice echoed in the background.

"Why would you mention biting out of all the words in the dictionary, Mr. Mustang, its just plain weird."

"Haha! Oh,Naomi, it's just an expression!" Hughes laughed at her_ other _side (seriously, where are all these people coming from?). "A very common one at that!"

"I know that Maes! It's just so stupid! Why would someone think that someone else would bite them?"

"Hmmm, I think I've got to agree with Naomi on this one." Alphonse replied thoughtfully.

"_Hello_, is anybody going to answer me?!"

The four of them chatted idly about the topic of expressions. Naomi and Alphonse teamed up and poked and prodded int the subject with the two officers who formed their own makeshift team. The conversation lasted about another seven to eight minutes, which also included poor Ed's attempts to gain somebody's attention, before Mustang finally took the authority to change the subject,"Alright, just forget it. We're getting off topic-" Mustang gave a half-tired sigh before being interrupted.

"WILL YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP! WHY THE HELL ARE YOU IGNORING ME!" Edward fumed, his face distorted into an angry scowl.

"Oh, Fullmetal you're awake." Roy said nonchalantly, hiding his grin." I'm just here to clarify some things with Miss Lockhart."

Edward was about to scream or rant, but Al had got to him on time and covered his brother's mouth. Naomi chuckled at the sight. She then returned her attention to the colonel and questioned, "So what is it you want to clarify?"

"Just about everything."

* * *

-x-

"You're positive?"

"Absolutely."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes! How many times do I have to say it?"

Naomi rolled her eyes as she leaned against the white walls of Ed's hospital room. Mustang had taken a seat on the wooden bench across from her, a grim look on his face. The girl felt a weird sensation bubble in her stomach; an uneasy atmosphere was starting to take form around her. She could even feel the curious stares of the two Elric brothers watching on the sidelines with Hughes (who looked more on the worried or strained side).

"Okay, so you lived in a the _country_ known as the United States of America, a _state_ known as California_,_ and a _city_ called Rocillec - which is in some numbered area." He looked at her with narrowed eyes once more. She nodded her head after an exasperated sigh. She saw him give a quick glance at Maes before flicking his dark eyes back on her. "Will you tell me what happened to you?"

Naomi remained silent.

This was an...exeptionatly hard thing to answer. What could she say? Yeah, like she would say that she was a former test subject and that during one of her tests, she was teleported to this place. This would then lead to questions about her stupid, _stupid _past. She wanted to put it all behind her, even if it wasn't plausible. Soon she'd be free of the horrible nightmares that engulfed her nights in chaos. That is what she believed – or wanted to believe – yet here she was. A man was inquiring about that same tender subject, snooping through her life as if it mattered. Even if he was a friend of Maes, she wouldn't answer him before sharing her story with the ones whom cared for her. She inhaled slowly and said,"I- I've decided. I won't tell you."

Mustang's face was carefully guarded, like her own face, as he watched her. It was hard to tell if the atmosphere in the room stayed hushed because of him or not. "It would be best to tell me. You are an intruder in the city, and can be easily taken into custody." Mustang narrowed his eyes, expectant.

"There isn't much to say."

"Oh really?"

Naomi felt her throat tense. "Th-there isn't. I can only remember so much, and what I can remember I'd much rather forget. Forgive me, but I won't say anything."

"What is it you want to forget?"

"N-nothing! Th-there isn't anything to tell. I'm fifteen. My birthday is December 3rd. I lived in Rocellic, California in the United States. I went to school, had friends, and lived a n-normal life!"

_"_You are either a good or terrible liar." Mustang snorted. "Do you expect me to belive that you came from a place that doesn't exist, with a casual excuse that you woke up in the park - how do I know you aren't a spy?"

"Roy!" Hughes quickly stepped forward to intervene.

"Maes, stand down. As your superior, please understand that I need to know the truth for both you and the military." The colonel said with an authoritative tone. Hughes stopped hesitantly, unsure of how to react to his friend's actions. Without a word, he finally stepped back. Ed and Al were right near him, tensed yet eager for what was to come. Naomi kept her right index finger tapping nervously on the wall behind her. Confusion started sweeping away her thoughts.

"What are you saying," she strained to keep her voice soft, "you don't know what America is? The U.S.A? The United States of America? Are you saying that this island we're on is so secluded that you've never had outside contact?" The man with slick, coal-black hair gawked at Naomi as if she were an alien from another planet.

"Where did you say we were?" He asked slowly.

"An island...a secluded island. I haven't actually confirmed this...but I just assumed because everyone should know the United States. Or are you from Australia? They're that really really big island that's bigger than Texas..." Mustang pinched the bridge of his nose thinking over what she said. Naomi wondered what was getting on his nerves. When he looked back up at her, his onyx eyes were cold and serious. "Miss Lockhart, I'm sorry to say that you are severely mistaken. Amestris is not a secluded island and we are very aware of all the countries around us, and there is no such place called the United States, or California for that matter."

For some reason her chest tightened. She gave a forced smile and laughed, "Please don't say these things. I'm getting reallllly confused." Her heart started thumping harder in her chest.

"Then perhaps you are only confused. Hughes brought a map with him, would you like to look at it?" Her eyes widened and she hastily nodded her head to accept the offer. Her stomach started doing flips now. It was only a dream.

Maes walked up to her and gave an encouraging nudge when he handed her the map. Her mouth was now in her throat. What if it was true? She carefully unfolded the map. It was old and musty, the colors seemed to be faded. She kept opening it until it showed the whole picture. Thick lines danced their way around the borders of the countries as names were scribed with careful caligraphy. The unfamiliar shapes of the map reflected in her eyes. It was just a dream.

She tightened her right hand's grip on the map, released her left hand from the paper, and slowly dropped both her arms to her sides. Naomi stared at the ground. It was only a dream. Her right hand released the paper. It fluttered effortlessly to the ground.

"No."she whispered inaudibly."Don't lie."

"Naomi?" Maes inched closer to her from where he was standing.

_"_No. no. You're lying! Stop lying to me!" Naomi startled everyone in the room when she suddenly yelled. She shook her head, not wanting to believe what he said and not wanting to believe what the map said. It was all a dream. It had to. She was just dreaming – nothing more.

"Naomi, I'm sorry that California, America, or wherever you say you're from, doesn't exist." Maes placed his hand on her shaky shoulder."But you might just be confused...it'll be alright. We'll figure out where your family is soon. I promise." The girl was able to tell how strained he was, she knew he didn't want to break her spirit; yet Naomi could only prevent herself from screaming at him. It wasn't his fault; he didn't deserve her anger. He didn't deserve the overwhelming confusion that threatened her sanity.

What was the reason? The reason why she was there, the reason that let the impossible happen. Impossible meant that nothing like this should happen. Her mind was puzzled, perplexed. How could she wake up in the middle of a park and have no recollection about how she ended up there? How could she be in a place that's so much like earth, but not earth? How could she be found and taken into a stranger's home without another thought? How could any of this be happening?!

-then it hit her.

The epiphany struck her like a truck speeding on a highway. And it hurt. Naomi didn't think she could feel any worse, but right then her mind started going numb. Her heart gave slow, dreaded thumps against her chest as the world practically stopped spinning. The teenager's mouth trembled and she stepped back from Maes.

That's when she ran. She spun around and flung the door open. She ran through the hallways of the hospital until she found herself barging out of the front doors. Naomi glanced around her and took in her surroundings while she dashed past the courtyard. Suddenly everything looked different; the sky, the buildings, and even the people. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins and she sprinted faster through the unknown world...She didn't know how much longer she could continue carrying the burdens of her life.

Even when her chest and body burned with gastric acid that made her want to vomit, she persevered running. She welcomed the pain. Naomi hoped that somehow the pain would take away her problems. Her mind was like static as she thought everything over while she ran. The happiness, the smiles, the freedom, the arguments, her feelings, the people –it was all a sham. Everything was fake. Nothing was real. The very thought sent tears flowing down her face. It was all too good for it true, but she believed it all so easily. She slowed down and halted, her instincts saying that she had run far enough. Hyperventilating from the excessive sprint, Naomi's arms found their way against a brick alleyway wall. The fifteen-year-old leaned in against the dull red bricks. Her eyes were warm and puffy because of the salty tears that continued to stream out from them.

Her body trembled uncontrollably as her heaving breaths and sobs threatened to choke her. "What did I do to deserve this?" She hacked out. "Give me an answer, God! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm selfish, I'm sorry I'm stupid! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm _sorry_! Just give me a life back – give me _my _life back! _Please_! I won't do another bad ever again! I promise!" Naomi's knees gave way beneath her and thumped the cement ground and caused her head to lean forward and rub roughly against the wall. Thoughts cycled through her mind faster than any other being could process them, but only one word stuck out among the endless stream of sentences:

_Simulation._

They were watching her now, laughing at the normally expressionless girl, the girl whom would never acknowledge their presence. This was her punishment. To be tricked, to be broken down, to be humiliated – it was all just one big show for them. She was just a plaything for them. It made her whole being tremble with abhorrence.

"You win," Naomi cried softly to herself, "You win. I lost. What more do you want?" Only silence answered her cry.

-xxx-

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**OMG. WHAT WILL HAPPEN? IS IT TRUE? - IS IT? I'd tell you, but that'd ruin the whole plot now, wouldn't it? I'll let you on a little secret though- this is the start of the rising action. This is where things will actually be a little more actiony, adventurey, or perhaps romancy (I don't care if these arn't real words :P) Anyways, thank you kittens that reviewed! I love reading all the reviews because when I'm feeling down about my writing, I can just look at them and smile :) And don't worry, I appriciate you anonymous reviewers too! (and I do get the Gibbs reference lols^^)  
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**Thank you soooooo much for all the support! But just remember- at the end of the rainbow there is a pot of gold! Where's the rainbow? Well just give a review and the portal will open and you'll be rich! :D  
**

**Sky65**


	11. Author Note

Gahhh, I feel horrible for putting everyone off like this. I want to hit myself at the moment. I hate it when authors do this kind of shit, and therefore I'm going to kill myself one I post this. So let me get straight to the point:

Firstly, Beyond Limitless** won't** be gone for good. It is merely on a **hiatus/alteration** phase. Trust me, I have a great hopes for it. But the thing is, as an author I want to go back in through the story and read it. But for some reason, I can't seem to choke down BL for various reasons... its probably because I know I'm capable of better work. I started BL on whim during a vacation, but on the way I have actually thought up an amazing, twisting, slightly confusing, and in-your-face plot! And because I'm slightly OCD, it's hard to come to terms with what I've typed up, because I feel like I've sharpend up my skills.

To sum it up, I will rewrite this story- but with slight alterations to match the plot I'm aiming for. I will probably start rewriting **this** **summer** when I actually have time.

Again, I'm sorry, but don't hate me please, I felt so loved and happy by the great feedback of the story! I just want to give you guys something better - even if you think this is good enough- you guys are amazing, and so its the most I can do besides just stopping the story at the tenth chapter (b/c thats just aweful :P)

Now then, in other news, if you liked this, please consider reading a my other fanfic - Should I be Worried. I will ABSOLUTLY NOT do this sort of thing with it. I will be sure to update frequently as well. In fact, I will continue to write it until my fingers break of from typing too much. I cross my heart and hope to die.

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**Should I be Worried:**

_"There was no 'mirror' of which I was aware of, but I saw my whole body materialize before me. My brown eyes gazed in a mixture of wonder and disbelief as the body of a light ginger husky stared back with the same eyes. In the thick, inky blackness I saw clearly the ginger and white fur, ears, tail, four legs, and muzzle that marked my new being."_

~Skylar Holmes, a sraightforward and prideful girl, faces a few serious problems. Firs off, she wakes up annd finds out her human body is no more-and that she is a dog. Secondly, a creepy black figure tells her about a deal she apparently made with it. And finally, if those two things weren't enough, she just happens to get teleported to another dimension. This said, Skylar begins to feel like she's the unluckiest person ever. The best part? Irony just loves to rub it in her face.~


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